AMERICAN  MURAL  PAINTING 


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AMERICAN 
MURAL  PAINTING 

A  STUDY  OF 
THE  IMPORTANT  DECORATIONS 
BY   DISTINGUISHED  ARTISTS  IN 
THE  UNITED  STATES 

By 

PAULINE  KING 


BOSTON 
NOV  I  S,  PLATT  &  COMPANY 

MCMI1 


Copyright,  ipoi,  by 
Noyes,  Piatt  &  Company 

[Incorporated) 

Entered  at  Stationers1  Hall 


Press  of  George  H.  Ellis 
Boston,  U.S.A. 


PREFATORY  NOTE 


The  adequate  illustration  of  several  of  the  earlier  chapters 
of  this  volume  has  been  a  matter  of  great  difficulty.  Many  of 
the  earlier  examples  of  mural  painting  are  so  placed  that  it  is 
impossible  to  obtain  new  photographs  of  them,  and  the  ability 
to  reproduce  them  has  therefore  depended  upon  the  possibility 
of  obtaining  prints  from  negatives  made  before  the  paintings 
were  set  in  place  or  from  the  artists'  original  sketches  where 
these  were  accessible.  There  has  been  especial  difficulty  in 
the  case  of  the  decorations  of  the  Columbian  Exposition, 
nearly  all  of  the  examples  of  which  have  had  to  be  printed  from 
electrotypes  of  the  illustrations  used  in  magazines  published  at 
that  time.  The  thanks  of  the  publishers  and  of  the  author  are, 
therefore,  due  to  Messrs.  Harper  &  Brothers,  to  the  Century 
Company,  and  to  Messrs.  Charles  Scribner's  Sons  for  electro- 
types from  their  respective  magazines,  without  which  it  would 
have  been  impossible  to  give  any  adequate  pictorial  idea  of  this 
important  period  in  the  development  of  the  art. 

Thanks  are  also  due  to  Messrs.  Curtis  &  Cameron,  whose 
Copley  Prints  include  the  greater  portion  of  the  paintings 
mentioned  in  this  volume,  to  Mr.  C.  Klackner,  Mr.  N.  L. 
Stebbins,  and  to  all  of  the  artists  whose  works  are  reproduced, 
for  permission  for  the  reproductions  and  for  cordial  assistance 
in  the  details  of  the  work. 


vii 


CONTENTS 

Introduction  :  The  Art  of  Mural  Painting  page  3 


I.  The  Beginnings  of  Mural  Painting  in  the  United  States  15 

II.  The  Mural  Paintings  of  William  Morris  Hunt     ...  39 

III.  Early  Progress  in  the  Art   55 

IV.  The  Columbian  Exposition   62 

V.  The  Columbian  Exposition  {Conclusion)   82 

VI.  The  Boston  Public  Library:  Puyis  de  Chavannes — Abbey  93 

VII.  The  Boston  Public  Library:  John  S.  Sargent    ....  124 

VIII.  The  INFLUENCE  of  Art  Organisations  on  Mural  Painting  145 
IX.  The  Walker  Art   Building  and  the   Mendelssohn  Clef. 

Club   154 

X.  The  Library  of  Congress   169 

XL  The  Library  of  Congress  {Conclusioii)   203 

XII.  The  Appellate  Courts  Building,  New  York   219 

XIII.  Miscellaneous  Work,  1892-1901   239 


IX 


I  L  LUSTRATIONS 


John  La  Farge  frontispiece 

page  19 

a         44         4 1 

24 

*  4         44  44 

25 

Angel  of  the  Moon  

44         44         4  ■ 

33 

44         44  44 

36<  37 

The  Flight  of  Night  

William  Morris  Hunt 

43 

4  4                        4  4                   4  4 

47 

Detail  from  The  Flight  of  Night  

44                 n  44 

5° 

Fortune  (Detail  from  The  Discoverer)  . 

4  4                        4  4                   4  4 

51 

The  Ballet  

George  W.  Maynard 

57 

4  4                  4  4                    4  4 

57 

Edwin  A.  Abbey 

58>  59 

Night,  Day,  and  Dawn  

T'     1  f  r      7">  '  .  _ 

60 

Eawtn  If.  Blaskfield 

71 

/  Carroll  B:ckioith 

73 

Pearl  

//  <///</-  Slur  law 

75 

A  ('ii  von  Cox 

77 

hot'irt  he  la 

79 

George  IV.  Maynard 

85 

Rulers  of  Winged  Horses  (Detail)  .... 

//  illiam  De  L.  Dodge 

86 

Mary  AfaeMonmes 

y7 

Modern  Woman  (Section)  

Mary  Cassalt 

Q  _ 

Detail  from  Border  of  tympanum    .    .    .  . 

91 

I  he  Muses  Welcoming  the  Genius  of  hnhgnt- 

Pni' is  de  Chava tines 

95 

a  t< 

100 

tf  >( 

1 00 

M  U 

1 0 1 

u  M 

10 1 

M  M 

102 

(1  M 

102 

14  << 

io3 

M  (( 

io3 

<(  H 

107 

xi 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


The  Triumph  of  Time  John  Elliott     page  108, 

Detail  from  The  Triumph  of  Time  ....        "  " 

The  Vision  Edwin  A.  Abbey 

The  Oath  of  Knighthood   "  " 

The  Round  Table   "     "       "  116, 

The  Departure  for  the  Grail   "     11  " 

The  Detail  from  The  Castle  of  the  Grail  .    .        "     "  " 

The  Triumph  of  Religion  John  S.  Sargent 

Moloch  (Detail)   .       "  " 

Astarte  (Detail)   "  " 

The  Captivity  of  the  Jews  (Lunette)     .    .    .       "     "        "  137, 

The  Hebrew  Prophets  (Frieze)   "    "  i: 

Justice  Edward  Simmons 

The  Fates  

Liberty,  Equality,  Fraternity   "  " 

Athens  John  La  Farge 

Rome  Elihu  Vedder 

Florence  Abbott  H.  Thayer 

Venice   Kenyon  Cox 

Study  Charles  Sprague  Pearce 

Religion   "  "  " 

Recreation   "  "  " 

Labour  .  

Urania  Edward  Simmons 

Calliope  

Melpomene  ......    "  " 

Lyric  Poetry  Henry  Oliver  Walker 

The  Boy  of  Winander  

Ganymede  

Adonis  

The  Cairn  John  W.  Alexander 

Egyptian  Hieroglyphics   

Oral  Tradition   

Picture  Writing  

The  Manuscript  Boook  

The  Printing-Press  

Paris  Walter  McEwen 

Prometheus  


109 
in 

IJ3 
114 

117 

119 

122 

I25 
129 

133 
138 
141 

147 

15° 

151 

J55 

157 
161 

163 
172 

174 

J75 
176 

177 
178 

179 

181 

182 

183 
185 
185 
186 
186 

187 
187 
188 
189 


xn 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Walter  McEwen  page 

190 

T  _  .. 

Frederick  Dielman 

191 

I— J  l  c  f  rvfi  t 

192 

7"*  7*7               T  T       7  7 

.    Ehhu  Veddc? 

J93 

it  a 

196 

it  ti 

197 

Details  from  The  Lvolution  of  Civilisation 

.    Edwin  H.  B  lash  field  198, 

199 

Robert  Reid 

202 

Un  \ » c  1 

Walter  Shirlaw 

204 

M                   4  4 

204 

Prank  11  .  Benson 

206 

1  nana  

%t               4  4                  4  4 

206 

it              4  4                4  4 

207 

4  1             4  4                4  4 

207 

nri-io  Arte 

JVC  NY  OH  COX 

208 

a  44 

209 

7  f  r."//.'  -            7")        T/  7- 

// 1 11 1 am  /).  /  Ingen 

2 1 1 

Dam  s-\ 

dan  A  fc  tellers 

2 1 1 

1      £-±  ill  it  it      /    I     1  1  \  *•      far     AT     I      AV\                     O  \ 

George  W.  Maynard 

2I5 

//  illiani  De  I..  Dodge 

2 16 

Detail  from  The  Transmission  of  the  Law 

11.  Staaons  Mowbray 

220 

Robert  Reid 

221 

1 1  it  lard  L.  lMetealj 

—  3 

Henry  Oliver  11  alker 

2  29 

I  lie  Justice  of  the  Law  

Ed~u.>ard  Simmons 

230 

i.atk'in  11.  j) (aS/i/u fa 

231 

Panels  from  Frieze  (Appellate  Courts)  . 

A  en yon  C ox 

235 

Homage  to  Woman  

//  ///  11.  Low 

241 

Edward  Simmons 

244 

XT'  „  1  •  „  . 

4  4                          4  4 

245 

Detail  from  The  Triumph  of  Manhattan 

Li  )  .  1  timer 

2  48 

A  Florentine  Festival  

Edwin  If.  Blaslifield 

251 

11      11  (< 

253 

Francis  D.  Millet 

254 

Will  H.  Low 

257 

Edward  Simmons  258,259 

Panels  from  The  Canterbury  Pilgrimage  . 

.    Robert  /'.      Sewell  260, 

261 

America  Unveiling  Her  Natural  Strength  . 

.    AV/xvY  AY/,/ 

262 

xiii 


AMERICAN   MURAL  PAINTING 

A  STUDY  OF  THE  IMPORTANT  DECORATIONS  BY 
DISTINGUISHED  ARTISTS  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES 


INTRODUCTION:  THE  ART 
OF  MURAL  PAINTING 


The  decoration  of  a  wall  surface  is  one  of  the  most  reason- 
able and  natural  forms  under  which  the  arts  are  practised. 

Although  archaeologists  trace,  with  many  interesting  details, 
the  various  steps  of  its  evolution, —  through  ages  when  nations 
that  possessed  no  other  means  of  preserving  histories  and 
records  of  the  important  events  of  the  time,  or  of  their  religious 
beliefs,  made  signs,  characters,  and  rude  representations  of 
human  figures  and  animals  upon  stone, —  those  studies  are 
of  such  intricacy  and  depth,  and  are  so  entirely  technical,  that, 
while  they  are  of  value  to  the  critic  and  the  special  student  of 
art  and  letters,  it  is  not  necessary  for  the  general  reader  to  go 
far  into  the  subject  of  these  early  suggestions, —  of  what,  in  the 
fulness  of  time,  has  become  the  splendid  art  with  which  we  are 
familiar. 

Most  of  the  facts  of  life  can  be  reduced  to  a  very  simple 
explanation,  like  that  of  the  origin  of  portrait  painting,  which 
leeend  ascribes  to  a  maiden,  who  traced  the  outline  of  the 
shadow  of  her  lover's  face  upon  the  wall,  and  solaced  herself 
with  this  reminder  of  his  lineaments  during  his  absences. 
Underlying  all  theories,  and  the  discoveries  of  the  customs  of 
ancient  peoples,  with  which  the  subject  can  be  weighted,  its 
establishment  and  the  hold  that  it  has  retained  upon  the  favour 
alike  of  barbarous  and  civilised  nations  lie  in  its  practical  and 
sympathetic  nature.  The  temptation  offered  by  the  broad 
plain  surface,  of  an  interior  or  exterior,  sets  the  fingers  of  even 

3 


INTRODUCTION 


the  least  mischievous  child  twitching  with  the  desire  to  mark 
upon  it  with  his  pencils  or  daub  upon  it  with  his  colours;  and 
to  the  artist  or  artisan  with  even  a  slight  dexterity  of  hand 
there  comes  an  almost  irresistible  longing  to  try  his  powers,  so 
eminently  suitable  is  the  opportunity  for  picture-making. 

This  suitability,  and  the  deeply  rooted  feeling  in  the  heart 
of  man  in  all  ages,  conditions,  and  stations,  which  seeks  for  some 
way  of  beautifying  his  home,  his  place  of  worship,  and  the  tombs 
of  his  race,  account  for  mural  painting  in  the  past,  and  teach 
that  its  future  is  assured.  It  may  fall  into  decay,  it  may  be 
neglected  for  years;  but  it  is  bound  to  revive  again  and  again. 

Traditions  and  examples  of  the  art  have  been  handed  down 
from  the  great  civilisations  of  Egypt,  Greece,  and  Rome,  in 
all  of  which  the  practice  was  carried  to  great  perfection.  The 
colours  are  still  bright  which  the  Egyptians  used  four  thousand 
years  ago,  when  delineating  the  stories  of  their  gods  and  kings 
and  their  wars  and  conquests  upon  the  walls  of  temples,  tombs, 
and  palaces.  These  pictures  have  remained  to  be  the  admira- 
tion of  succeeding  generations,  that  have  read  in  them,  as  in 
an  open  book,  what  manner  of  men  these  ancient  peoples  were, 
and  have  read  of  their  dress,  customs,  and  habits,  and  how  they 
lived,  ate,  drank,  died,  and  were  buried. 

The  whole  system  of  decorating  is  astonishingly  gorgeous, 
every  part  of  the  architecture  being  coloured  and  covered  with 
designs ;  and  the  constant  repetition  of  forms  and  tints  gives 
dignity  and  formality  to  the  magnificence  of  the  effect.  The 
archaic  manner  of  drawing  and  the  curious  absence  of  a  true 
observation  of  nature,  which  continued  for  centuries,  in  no  way 
lessen  the  fine  effect  and  the  splendid  understanding  shown 
of  the  great  fundamental  principles  of  decorative  art. 

4 


INTRODUCTION 


These  principles  must  be  recognised  in  their  full  impor- 
tance ;  for  they  have  an  eternal  significance,  and  have  always 
been  the  same  in  the  best  periods,  showing  through  the  differ- 
ent forms  of  expression  that  have  obtained  according  to  the 
training,  development,  and  talents  of  bodies  of  artists.  They 
may  be  described  baldly  as  resulting  in  a  manner  of  execution 
that  does  not  attempt  to  disguise  the  fact  that  the  painting  is 
on  a  solid  wall  and  a  level  surface,  and  which  works  toward 
the  end  of  perfect  harmony  in  design,  colour,  and  form  be- 
tween the  finished  picture  and  its  architectural  environment. 

A  distinctly  flat  method  of  painting  that  does  not  lay  undue 
stress  upon  perspective  is  characteristically  decorative.  The 
design,  when  complete,  should  seem  woven  of  one  piece  from 
end  to  end.  When  it  fails  in  this,  it  is  to  be  criticised  as  in- 
harmonious; and  either  in  its  own  borders  or  with  the  architec- 
ture it  will  be  unpleasantly  obtrusive,  and  will  tell  as  too  dark 
holes  or  spots  or  too  vivid  patches  of  colour. 

There  have  been  great  masters  that  have  left  the  magnifi- 
cent work  of  their  hands  upon  walls  and  ceilings,  whose 
temperaments  forbade  them  to  be  bound  in  this  way.  They 
could  not  confine  themselves  to  decorative  limits.  Some  of 
their  pictures  are  the  glory  of  the  world,  but  they  should  be 
accepted  as  pictures  :  they  are  not  to  be  regarded  as  decorations 
in  a  strict  sense  of  the  term. 

The  Egyptians  and  Assyrians  used  no  perspective  whatever; 
but,  however  crude  and  rudimentary  their  methods,  the  ancient 
work  teaches  a  profound  lesson  in  unity  of  impression.  The 
art  of  these  nations  is  especially  interesting  to  our  public 
because  of  the  remarkable  resurrection  of  its  images  and  styles 
in  John  Sargent's  decorations  in  the  Boston  Public  Library. 

5 


INTRODUCTION 


He  has  made  them  familiar  to  thousands  that  will  never  see 
the  East  and  its  wonderful  monuments,  but  that  now  have  the 
advantage  of  knowing  the  early  art  through  this  clear  and 
beautiful  reproduction. 

The  decorative  canons  were  strictly  followed  in  Grecian 
mural  painting.  Very  few  fragments  have  survived  to  tell  of 
its  glories,  but  the  fact  is  established  that  colour  either  in  plain 
tints  or  ornamented  with  patterns  or  figures  was  regarded  as 
essential  to  the  completion  of  an  edifice.  Though  it  is  pos- 
sible to  put  together  a  number  of  facts  about  the  matter,  and 
small  plaster  models  of  ancient  buildings  are  often  seen, 
coloured  after  the  fashion  in  which  they  were  probably 
finished,  yet  this  gives  but  a  bare  idea  of  the  system,  and 
nothing  of  the  soul  and  spirit  of  the  art  of  which  the  classic 
authors  write  in  terms  of  the  highest  eulogy,  ranking  the 
achievement  in  painting  quite  on  a  par  with  the  superb 
sculpture. 

The  artistic  methods  of  working  transmitted  through  the 
Romans  is  undoubtedly  still  a  living  influence,  though  it  is 
as  hopeless  to  try  to  reconstruct  an  idea  of  the  perfection  of 
the  actual  accomplishment  as  it  would  be  to  try  to  divine  the 
force  and  beauty  of  their  statues  without  any  of  them  being  in 
existence.  It  only  needs  one  of  the  Elgin  marbles  to  show 
that  sculpture  rose  to  heights  that  no  imagination  could 
picture. 

The  Roman  writers  also  boast  of  their  artists  that  covered 
the  massive  walls  with  paintings  of  every  kind, —  historical, 
religious,  genre,  still  life,  and  flowers.  The  examples  now 
extant  are  of  a  rather  late  period.  Such  as  were  known  to 
the  artists  of  the  Renaissance  had  a  powerful  effect  upon  their 

6 


INTRODUCTION 


work.  Since  that  time  the  buried  cities  of  Pompeii  and  Her- 
culaneum  have  proved  vast  storehouses  of  such  treasures. 

It  is  appalling  to  think  of  the  havoc  made  of  the  antique 
art  during  the  early  centuries  of  the  Christian  era,  when  those 
belonging  to  the  new  faith  delighted  in  the  destruction  of  the 
wealth  of  monuments  which  the  pagan  love  of  beauty  had 
raised.  What  priceless  treasures  were  ruthlessly  demolished ! 
In  a  few  years  the  whole  body  of  classic  art  was  broken  into 
fragments,  some  of  its  members  were  totally  annihilated,  some 
in  their  mutilated  condition  remain  to  tell  of  its  greatness. 
But,  while  the  priests  and  populace  enjoyed  wreaking  vengeance 
upon  anything  connected  with  the  earlier  religions,  in  the 
name  of  which  Christian  saints  and  martyrs  had  been  perse- 
cuted, the  desire  for  pictorial  representations  of  sacred  persons 
and  Scriptural  stories  could  not  be  restrained. 

Remains  of  pagan  decorations  that  had  escaped  the  general 
wreck  were  slightly  altered  or  accepted  as  they  were,  and 
renamed  to  suit  the  requirements  of  the  new  religion;  and 
crude  but  most  sincere  attempts  at  original  designs  were 
made,  although  this  was  in  defiance  of  the  commands  of 
bishops  and  the  clergy,  who  forbade  the  making  of  pictures,  as 
distinctly  a  pagan  practice,  and  tending  to  keep  up  the  spirit 
of  Paganism.  Hut  even  though  the  work  incurred  the  wrath  of 
those  in  power,  and  not  infrequently  was  defaced,  it  was  con- 
tinued until  the  Catacombs  and  places  of  worship  were  filled 
with  such  ornaments;  and  the  authorities  were  finally  com- 
pelled to  recognise  the  power  and  attraction  of  the  art,  and 
became  its  warmest  and  most  liberal  patron. 

Although  through  the  centuries  of  the  Byzantine  period  no 
originality  could  be  displayed,— for  certain  forms  were  con- 

7 


INTRODUCTION 


tinually  repeated,  and  Madonnas  and  saints  were  drawn  by 
prescribed  rules,  the  heads  copied  after  one  peculiar  mode  and 
the  figures  covered  with  stiff,  rich-coloured  draperies  that  can- 
not conceal  the  deficiencies  of  structure, —  yet  these  archaic, 
strangely  drawn  images,  when  seen  together  in  their  places, 
have  a  rare  decorative  dignity.  The  buildings  at  Ravenna, 
lined  with  mosaics  of  such  remarkable  colours  that  the  interiors 
seem  hollowed  out  of  the  heart  of  rich,  softly  glowing  jewels, 
showing  designs  of  quaint  figures  with  flat,  deep-toned  draperies, 
ornamented  with  elaborate  patterns,  still  prove  an  allegiance  to 
the  decorative  lessons  inherited  from  classic  time,  and  which 
had  lingered  after  all  knowledge  of  the  beauty  and  construction 
of  the  human  figure  had  been  forgotten. 

Giotto,  throwing  away  the  formulas  by  which  his  predeces- 
sors had  bound  their  talents,  carried  on  the  invaluable  tradi- 
tions. He  is  one  of  the  world's  greatest  decorative  masters; 
and  after  him  came  the  tide  of  the  Renaissance,  sweeping  ever 
upward  and  onward.  The  years  saw  the  birth  of  a  line  of 
unsurpassed  mural  painters,  masters  of  the  art.  There  was 
no  problem  too  difficult  for  their  skill,  or  none  that  could  not 
be  solved  in  perfect  taste.  They  designed  for  domes,  ceilings, 
panels  of  all  shapes,  for  dark  or  for  light  interiors,  and  used 
figures,  arabesques,  ornament,  with  the  same  unerring  judg- 
ment. Upon  the  walls  of  the  churches,  palaces,  and  convents 
throughout  Italy  is  the  vast,  triumphant  record  of  their  genius. 

In  this  splendid  following  of  groups  of  world-renowned 
mural  painters,  the  palm  is  generally  conceded  to  Raphael, 
whose  achievement  is  one  upon  which  his  fame  could  rest,  had 
he  never  painted  a  picture.  He  seems  to  have  caught  up  the 
finest  characteristics  of  his  predecessors,  and  surpassed  them, 

8 


INTRODUCTION 


just  as  Shakespeare  gathered  for  his  purposes  all  the  accom- 
plishment of  English  literature ;  or,  to  quote  an  exquisite  sen- 
tence from  a  recently  published  essay  reviewing  the  artist  in 
this  connection,  "then  came  Raphael,  the  grand  harvester,  and 
gathered  up  the  sheaves  of  the  Renaissance." 

It  is  by  the  artists  grouped  under  this  period  that  the  mod- 
ern school  of  mural  painters,  both  abroad  and  in  this  country, 
have  been  influenced.  M.  Puvis  de  Chavannes,  returning  to 
the  early  methods,  has  shown  his  contemporaries  where  invalu- 
able examples  of  design,  harmony,  and  purity  of  style,  are  to  be 
found ;  and  the  power  of  his  talents  has  enforced  these  doc- 
trines. 

The  Venetian  school  may  be  cited  as  an  example  of  a  body 
of  great  artists,  perhaps  the  most  remarkable  painters  known 
to  us,  whose  methods  of  designing  and  manner  of  execution 
always  resulted  in  pictures  vast  in  size,  beyond  the  power  of 
any  easel  to  hold,  but  still  easel  pictures.  Yet  what  glorious 
pictures  they  are!  One  would  not  have  them  changed  in  the 
smallest  particular.  What  a  loss  to  the  world,  had  Titian, 
Veronese,  and  Tintoretto  never  painted  them  ! 

From  the  time  of  Giotto  to  Raphael,  fresco  —  the  classic 
medium  —  was  used.  This  can  be  defined,  in  a  not  too  techni- 
cal way,  as  a  process  of  painting  in  water  colour  on  wet  plas- 
ter, the  portion  of  the  wall  upon  which  the  artist  wishes  to 
work  being  prepared  over  night,  so  that  it  will  be  in  the  proper 
state  to  receive  the  colour.  If  the  painting  is  continued  or 
worked  over  after  the  plaster  is  dry,  both  the  clearness  of  tone 
and  its  permanence  are  affected.  Thus  it  is  necessary  to  finish 
a  fresco  piece  by  piece;  and  the  freedom  of  oils,  which  permits 
of  sketching  in,  getting  the  general  effect,  rubbing  in  tones  to 

9 


INTRODUCTION 


try  their  qualities,  and  painting  over,  ad  infinitum,  offers  ad- 
vantages which  account  for  its  having  superseded  the  earlier 
method.  Fresco  is  still  used  in  Italy,  while  in  other  countries 
oil  colours  are  preferred. 

Allowing  for  this  difference,  the  scope,  the  difficulties,  the 
characteristics  of  the  art,  are  the  same  as  they  have  ever  been. 
The  special  points  to  be  observed  by  the  decorator  may  briefly 
be  noted  as  the  choice  of  a  pattern,  design,  or  composition 
which  shall,  in  line  and  mass,  have  a  particular  fitness  for  the 
architectural  position.  The  scale  upon  which  this  shall  be 
executed  varies  according  to  the  distance  at  which  the  paint- 
ing will  be  seen,  figures  in  a  dome  or  on  a  very  high  ceiling 
requiring  to  be  over  life-size,  perhaps  several  times  the  normal 
proportions,  to  appear  properly  to  spectators  upon  the  floor  of 
the  building.  Then  arise  the  subtle  questions  of  the  amount 
of  light  the  painting  will  receive,  which  governs  the  tone  that 
may  be  used;  the  colour  of  fresco,  woodwork,  or  marble  that 
may  surround  it,  with  which  it  must  be  in  harmonious  accord; 
just  the  degree  of  light  and  shade  and  perspective  that  will 
produce  the  desired  effect;  and  the  final  blending  of  all  of 
these. 

The  layman  is  prone  to  regard  the  transformation  of  small 
black-and-white  or  coloured  paintings  called  "  original  studies 
for  decorations  "  into  the  size  upon  which  they  are  completed  as 
something  very  difficult,  but  such  is  not  the  case.  Careful 
drawings  of  good  size  are  made  from  these  first  sketches,  which 
in  turn  are  enlarged  into  the  final  proportions  by  a  system  of 
squaring  which  increases  the  design  with  mathematical  accu- 
racy. These  large  drawings  are  called  cartoons.  The  cartoon, 
or  cartoons  are  then  laid  against  the  canvas  or  plaster  wall 

IO 


INTRODUCTION 


which  is  to  receive  the  decoration,  and  a  transfer  is  made,  for 
which  there  are  several  processes. 

Thus  much  for  technicalities  which  present  no  greater 
difficulties  to  the  mural  painter,  accustomed  to  the  practice  of 
his  profession,  than  those  connected  with  any  branch  of  artistic 
work.  And  if  to  paint  over  a  very  large  surface  is  exceedingly 
laborious,  and  makes  great  drains  upon  physical  as  well  as 
upon  mental  strength,  yet  the  sense  of  power  when  being  thus 
engaged,  the  pleasure  of  having  a  fine  opportunity  in  which  to 
achieve  the  best  that  lies  in  his  talents,  and  to  realise  when  the 
work  is  done  that  it  is  not  unworthy  of  the  noble  position 
which  it  lias  been  called  to  fill,  is  something  to  thrill  an  artist's 
soul,  and  bring  him  a  return  for  the  most  arduous  labours. 

The  brush  that  was  dropped  from  the  hand  of  the  last  of 
the  Italian  masters  was  not  used  again  in  a  notable  way  until 
the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century,  when  the  two  renowned 
Frenchmen,  Pierre  Puvis  de  Chavannes  and  Paul  Baudry, 
showed  themselves  able  successors  of  the  illustrious  decorators 
of  the  Renaissance. 

They  established  the  art  as  a  serious  and  important  de- 
velopment of  the  century,  and  their  influence  has  spread  from 
their  own  country  to  ours.  The  name  of  M.  Puvis  is  specially 
dear  to  us  because  of  the  beautiful  paintings  from  his  hand 
which  adorn  the  Boston  Public  Library,  so  that  he  is  not 
merely  a  foreign  artist,  whose  reputation  is  accepted  by  the 
public  because  it  is  told  to  do  so  by  writers  of  books  and 
magazine  articles,  but  is  a  very  real  and  living  fact  in  the 
position  taken  by  mural  painting  on  this  continent.  Any  one 
who  is  interested  in  the  subject  needs  only  to  visit  Boston  to 
be  able  to  form  an  opinion  about  the  man  who  is  considered 

1 1 


INTRODUCTION 


to  have  been  the  greatest  modern  decorator.  As  the  descrip- 
tions of  his  paintings  occupy  the  prominent  place  in  the 
chapters  devoted  to  the  Library  that  their  importance  merits, 
it  seems  best  to  leave  the  consideration  of  M.  Puvis's  position, 
qualities  of  style,  et-cetera  until  that  point  in  the  volume  is 
reached. 

To  appreciate  his  brilliant  compatriot,  it  is  necessary  to  visit 
Paris,  and  he  is  therefore  not  so  interesting  a  figure  to  us, 
which  is  also  the  case  abroad  where  M.  Baudry  has  never  had 
as  much  popularity  as  M.  Puvis,  whom  it  is  fairly  the  fashion  to 
admire.  Yet  M.  Baudry  was  in  his  own  way  a  marvellous  artist, 
and  his  decorations  in  the  foyer  of  the  Opera  House  are  a  most 
remarkable  achievement.  To  the  revivals  in  France  and  in 
this  country,  modern  mural  painting  is  confined.  The  efforts 
made  by  the  pre-Raphaelites  in  England  have  been  directed 
into  other  channels, —  stained  glass,  the  minor  arts,  printing, 
et-cetera.  The  two  nations  so  closely  united  by  artistic 
feeling  and  interests  have  a  common  sympathy  in  this  noble 
art.  This  is  not  a  partial  judgment;  and  any  person  who 
distrusts  home  talent,  and  feels  that  it  is  presumptuous  to  rank 
our  paintings  and  those  abroad  together,  should  have  his  eyes 
opened  by  a  comparison  of  the  work  of  the  two  schools. 

For  one  may  go  on  a  pilgrimage  through  Paris  and  the 
French  provincial  towns,  studying,  admiring,  appreciating,  and 
return  home  perhaps  with  some  sinking  of  heart,  and  be  sur- 
prised to  find  how  good,  serious,  and  sincere  are  the  paintings 
on  our  own  walls.  The  two  illustrious  men  connected  with 
the  inauguration  of  the  movement  in  France  stand  far  above 
the  mass  of  their  countrymen ;  and  one  need  not  be  blindly  ad- 
miring to  feel  that  the  decorations  by  many  hands  in  the  Hotel 

12 


INTRODUCTION 


de  Ville,  Paris,  do  not  surpass  undertakings  of  a  similar  nature 
here.  But  not  the  good  average  alone  must  be  acknowledged. 
We  also  have  our  masters  and  our  masterpieces. 

Prominent  in  the  connection  is  John  La  Farge,  world- 
known  for  his  revival  of  the  art  of  stained  glass.  He  is  also  a 
mural  painter  of  a  high  order.  He  is  a  superb  colourist,  and 
his  designs  embody  the  large  decorative  qualities  with  the 
unique  expression  of  a  strong  and  peculiar  genius.  John 
Sargent,  with  the  series  in  Boston  not  yet  half  finished,  has 
shown  powers  of  imagination,  characterisation,  and  technique 
that  few  have  equalled.  His  splendid  colouring,  originality, 
and  the  wide  range  of  his  expression  have  astonished  even 
the  warmest  admirers  of  the  portraits,  with  which  his  name 
was  previously  identified. 

Many  and  varied  are  the  gifts  which  the  artists  have  brought 
to  give  fulness  and  richness  to  the  revival.  To  quote  typical 
instances,  the  period  is  indebted  to  Mr.  Abbey  for  the  vivid, 
picturesque  charm  that  animates  77ie  Quest  of  the  Holy  Grail 
in  the  Boston  Public  Library;  to  Mr.  Vedder  for  fineness  of 
symbolism,  distinguished  individuality,  and  high  types  of 
beauty,  as  in  his  tympanum  Rome,  at  Bowdoin  College;  to 
Mr.  Walker  for  poetic  feeling  and  elevated  sentiment,  as  in 
Lyric  Poetry  in  the  Congressional  Library  ;  to  Mr.  Blashfield 
for  an  interesting  manner  of  arrangement  and  a  pleasing  use  of 
portraiture,  as  in  The  Evolution  of  Civilisation  in  the  same 
building;  to  Mr.  Simmons  for  breadth  of  conception  and 
methods,  and  a  magnetic  personal  charm,  as  in  The  Months 
and  The  Seasons  in  the  Waldorf-Astoria  Hotel,  New  York; 
to  Mr.  Mowbray  for  the  exquisite  aesthetic  impression  of  The 
Transmission  of  the  Law  in  the  Appellate  Court  House,  New 

"3 


INTRODUCTION 


York ;  to  Mr.  Cox  for  dignity  and  the  gravity  of  academical 
methods,  as  in  The  Arts  and  The  Sciences  in  the  Congressional 
Library ;  and  to  Mr.  Maynard  for  his  pleasing  way  of  using  the 
Pompeian  style,  as  in  The  Virtues,  also  in  Washington. 

The  country  that  can  boast  the  possession  of  Mr.  La 
Farge's  The  Ascension  of  our  Lord,  Mr.  Sargent's  Hebrew 
Prophets,  Mr.  Blum's  Moods  of  Music,  Mr.  Thayer's  Florence, 
Mr.  Simmons's  Melpomene,  and  such  a  wall  as  that  where  stand 
the  three  imposing  images  of  Justice  by  Messrs.  Blashfield, 
Simmons,  and  Walker,  need  not  fear  any  comparison. 

All  these  paintings  are  illustrated  in  the  body  of  the  volume, 
they  and  others  by  the  same  artists  taking  their  places  among 
many  more  distinguished  achievements  of  eminent  men,  who 
could  not  be  included  in  this  brief  outline. 

The  history  that  follows,  of  the  birth  of  the  art  in  this 
country  and  the  steps  by  which  it  has  attained  the  importance 
of  the  present  day,  has  been  an  interesting  one  to  write ;  and, 
as  the  studies  for  one  chapter  after  another  have  been  made, 
the  author  has  been  more  and  more  impressed  by  the  strength 
and  stability  of  its  establishment.  So  much  has  been  done, 
and  so  well  done,  that  it  does  not  seem  too  remote  a  dream  to 
believe  that  this  is  but  a  beginning,  and  the  work  will  go  on 
and  on  until  the  whole  land  is  transformed  and  the  walls  of 
the  buildings,  from  ocean  to  ocean,  are  adorned  with  paintings, 
as  in  beautiful  Italy. 


14 


I.  THE  BEGINNINGS  OF 
MURAL  PAINTING  IN 
THE    UNITED  STATES 


The  art  of  mural  painting  has  been  established  for  so  short 
a  time  in  this  country  that  the  doyen  of  our  corps  of  decorators, 
John  La  Farge,  whose  early  achievements  made  the  beginning 
of  its  history,  is  still  working,  and  planning  for  the  future. 

How  and  why  the  generation  of  artistic  genius  suddenly 
comes  to  maturity  in  the  midst  of  sterile  and  killing  conditions 
baffles  the  reason;  and  it  is  not  until  after  the  lapse  of  long 
periods  of  time,  if  even  then,  that  the  causes  and  sequences  can 
be  traced,  and  we  are  as  yet  too  near  Mr.  La  Farge  to  under- 
stand how  he  could  have  developed  his  assured  sense  of  the 
beautiful  and  his  entirely  artistic  standards  among  the  inar- 
tistic influences  of  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century.  For 
the  commercial  spirit  had  set  its  stamp  of  manufacture  upon 
every  adjunct  of  life.  Architecture,  sculpture,  and  painting 
were  at  a  very  low  ebb  of  taste. 

It  is  true  that  Mr.  La  Farge  was  born  under  better  circum- 
stances than  could  be  the  lot  of  many  of  his  generation,  for  he 
came  of  an  old  French  family  that  had  brought  traditions  of 
Furopean  art  across  the  water.  His  childhood  was  spent  in  a 
house  filled  with  old  books  and  adorned  with  valuable  pictures; 
and  when,  upon  leaving  college  in  1S56,  he  was  sent  abroad  to 
see  something  of  the  world  before  settling  down  to  a  legal 
career,  he  took  up  painting,  at  his  fathers  earnest  request,  as 
an  accomplishment.    In   Paris  he  entered  Couture's  atelier, 

is 


AMERICAN     MURAL  PAINTING 


although  his  attendance  there  did  not  continue  very  long;  for, 
by  the  master's  advice,  most  of  his  time  was  spent  copying 
drawings  and  paintings  by  the  old  masters  in  the  Louvre. 
Beside  this  direct  study,  the  young  American  met  at  the  house 
of  his  kinsman,  Paul  de  St.  Victor, —  the  celebrated  writer  and 
critic, —  Theophile  Gautier,  Charles  Blanc,  and  many  other 
distinguished  persons,  whose  standards  and  criticism  would 
alone  have  been  a  liberal  education.  When  his  acquaintance 
with  this  delightful  circle  had  ripened,  Charles  Blanc  asked 
his  companionship  on  a  tour  of  the  Italian  galleries ;  but  this 
trip  was  not  taken.  A  visit  to  Munich  and  Dresden  was  sub- 
stituted ;  and  he  returned  home  by  way  of  England,  becoming 
very  much  interested  while  there  in  the  pre-Raphaelite  move- 
ment. 

The  writer  does  not  intend  to  dwell  upon  the  lives  of  the 
artists  whose  work  goes  to  make  up  the  subject  of  this  book ; 
but  this  mention  of  the  influences  of  Mr.  La  Farge's  youth  has 
been  necessary  to  give  a  right  understanding  for  the  study  of 
our  first  mural  paintings.  Later  the  distinct  movements  of 
artistic  progression  have  been  owing  to  many  persons,  but  at 
this  time  the  record  of  the  individual  and  the  events  which 
fostered  his  talents  is  the  record  of  the  art. 

Any  one  seeing  Mr.  La  Farge  on  his  return  home,  when  he 
devoted  himself  to  his  legal  studies,  would  not  have  supposed 
that  his  future  would  be  very  intimately  connected  with 
aesthetic  matters ;  but  gradually  the  interest  excited  in  Paris 
usurped  all  others,  and  he  became  more  and  more  absorbed  in 
it,  until  all  other  professional  ambition  was  abandoned.  Al- 
though the  desire  to  essay  decoration  was  distinctly  in  his 
mind  during  the  years  when  he  was  becoming  famous  as  an 

16 


THE  BEGINNINGS 


illustrator  and  painter  of  flowers  and  landscapes,  no  branch  of 
artistic  work  is  more  dependent  upon  patronage  than  this ;  and 
he  was  obliged  to  wait  for  an  opportunity  before  making  any 
progress.  For  the  decorator,  however  much  he  may  feel  the 
courage  of  his  convictions,  cannot,  like  his  brother  whose  labours 
are  confined  to  easel  pictures, —  who  for  years  may  produce 
canvases  which  no  one  buys  and  no  one  cares  for,  and  yet  be  of 
undoubted  sanity, —  paint  a  great  collection  of  ceilings,  altar- 
pieces,  etc.,  for  imaginary  positions.  Of  course,  a  few  experi- 
ments could  be  tried ;  but,  from  the  very  nature  of  the  art,  the 
mural  painter  without  a  practical  outlook  lacks  inspiration. 

In  1 86 1  Mr.  La  Farge  finished  a  panel  of  Saint  Paul 
Preaching  at  Athens  for  the  Church  of  the  Paulist  Fathers, 
New  York,  which  for  some  reason  was  not  accepted  by  the 
architects,  and  in  1862-63  ne  began  a  large  triptych  of  the  Cru- 
cifixion ;  but  the  project  was  abandoned  when  only  the  two 
smaller  divisions,  in  which  the  Madonna  and  Saint  John  are 
represented,  were  completed.  These  remained  for  many  years 
the  property  of  the  artist,  until  they  passed  into  the  possession 
of  William  C.  Whitney,  Esquire,  their  present  owner.  When 
they  were  seen,  though  lacking  the  finish  of  their  proper  set- 
ting, they  made  a  most  profound  impression  upon  the  people 
who  were  interested  in  such  matters;  and  word  got  about  that 
Mr.  La  Farge  had  done  some  very  remarkable  things,  of  a  kind 
which  it  had  been  supposed  would  never  be  seen  in  this  coun- 
try, unless  Italian  churches  and  convent  walls  could  be  stripped 
of  their  frescos.  This  impression  was  deepened  by  the  artists 
next  success  with  some  decorations  for  a  dining-room ;  and 
these,  coming  under  the  notice  of  H.  H.  Richardson,  led  the 
architect  to  think  that  lie  had  found  a  man  that  would  be  able 

*7 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


to  carry  out  his  ideas  of  bringing  the  sister  arts  of  stained  glass 
and  painting  to  the  adornment  of  the  buildings  he  might  erect 
in  the  future,  and  he  engaged  Mr.  La  Farge  to  undertake  the 
first  decorative  work  that  should  be  at  his  disposal.  They 
thought  that  this  would  be  in  the  new  Brattle  Street  church  in 
Boston.  George  Butler  was  to  be  associated  with  Mr.  La  Farge ; 
and  certain  plans  were  made,  though  these  were  doomed  never 
to  be  carried  out,  as  the  whole  idea  had  to  be  abandoned. 

However,  Mr.  Richardson  continued  faithful  to  his  ideals; 
and,  when  he  was  building  Trinity  Church  in  Boston,  he  per- 
suaded the  Building  Committee  to  give  Mr.  La  Farge  entire 
charge  of  the  interior  decorations.  With  him  he  took  as 
helpers  at  different  times  Francis  Lathrop,  Francis  D.  Millet, 
Augustus  St.  Gaudens,  George  W.  Maynard,  S.  L.  Smith, 
Edwin  G.  Champney,  and  George  Rose.  Skilled  and  unskilled 
workmen,  even  carpenters,  were  also  employed  for  frescoing  the 
walls  in  plain  tints,  stencilling  conventional  patterns,  et-cetera. 
In  an  address  made  some  years  ago  before  a  Society  of  Archi- 
tects, Mr.  La  Farge  recalled  most  vividly  the  peculiar  experi- 
ences of  this  band  of  pioneers  of  which  he  was  the  head  and 
moving  spirit.  This  paper  will  be  quoted  at  some  length,  as  no 
throwing  back  of  the  imagination  into  a  past  which  must  be 
taken  at  second  hand  could  equal  the  description  of  the  master 
mind  that  made  out  of  this  opportunity  so  splendid  an  event 
that  forever  afterward  it  can  be  said,  "In  1876,  owing  to  John 
La  Farge,  mural  painting  in  this  country  was  elevated  to  the 
dignity  of  an  art." 

"September,  1876,"  says  Mr.  La  Farge,  "Mr.  Richardson 
summoned  me  to  his  bedside  to  say  that  under  certain  condi- 
tions the  interior  decoration  of  Trinity  Church,  Boston,  which 

18 


From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  ■*./>,  »y  Curtis  &  Cameron. 

CHRIST  AND  NICODF.M  US.    B*  JOHN  LA  FARGE. 


THE  BEGINNINGS 


he  was  then  contemplating,  might  be  given  to  me.  By  leaving 
large  surfaces  of  wall  and  roof  space  quite  bare  and  flat,  he  had 
made  the  necessity  for  decoration  or  decorative  treatment  by 
colour.  But  there  was  little  money  and  little  time :  I  should 
have  only  a  few  days  over  four  months  to  consider  the  question, 
to  make  drawings  and  plans,  obtain  estimates,  get  the  decision 
of  the  Building  Committee,  and  carry  on  the  work  to  its  end. 
Moreover,  there  was  no  money  for  suitable  scaffolding  for  this 
big  building, —  the  central  tower  is  one  hundred  feet  high, —  we 
should  have  to  employ  the  scaffolding  still  in  use  for  the  con- 
struction and  completion  of  the  roof  and  roof-tiling.  The 
enormous  windows  might  not  be  filled  in  until  very  late  in 
the  winter,  and  the  carpenters  would  be  putting  in  their  fittings 
while  we  were  still  at  work.  We  had  thus  to  face  material 
conditions  that  were  difficult  and  not  devoid  of  personal 
danger:  and,  as  all  the  architects  plans  and  measurements  had 
been  altered  in  the  course  of  the  work,  we  could  not  avail 
ourselves  of  any  such  usual  help  to  make  correct  drawings  in 
advance.  Sketches  might  help,  but  drawings  must  be  made 
as  the  work  went  along. 

44  Within  these  conditions,  more  or  less  distinctly  under- 
stood, the  work  was  carried  on.  It  was  necessary  to  contract 
with  decorative  firms  to  supply  workmen  and  a  competent  fore- 
man for  most  of  the  plain  wall-painting  and  some  part  of  the 
plain  ornament,  and  even  their  work  was  unsatisfactorily  done. 
The  materials  for  the  trades  of  decoration  were  purposely  bad, 
because,  as  their  chiefs  explained  to  me,  the  fashions  in  decora- 
tion changed  every  few  years,  and  were  helped  to  change  by 
the  profitable  decay  of  colours.  I  had  to  fight  hand-to-hand 
with  commerce.    I  had  to  purchase  myself  materials  of  good 

21 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


value  or  high  grade,  and  to  use  other  and  sound  methods  of 
applying  them,  devised  on  the  spot.  Of  the  workmen  em- 
ployed I  had  to  retain  certain  individuals  who  were  devoted  to 
me  and  to  my  ideas  of  good  work ;  and,  finally,  I  had  to  finish 
the  work  with  these  alone.  .  .  . 

..."  With  the  dreamy,  yet  protective,  foresight  of  artists, 
I  had  guessed  at  these  difficulties,  and  my  choice  of  general  de- 
signs met  Mr.  Richardson's  Romanesque  building  on  a  common 
ground  of  artistic  sympathy.  His  chosen  form  of  decoration, 
the  Romanesque  of  Southern  France,  seemed  to  me  especially 
suited  to  the  constructive  situation.  The  style  was  indefinite, 
and  yet  in  relation  with  classical  reasonableness  and  refine- 
ment. It  allowed  the  artistic  veiling  of  ornament  to  pass  at 
will  from  horizontal  to  perpendicular  arrangements,  and  to 
follow  loosely  or  with  precision,  as  best  might  be,  the  architect's 
somewhat  accidental  surfaces,  of  which  I  had  no  exact  meas- 
urements or  plans.  It  would  permit,  as  long  ago  it  had  per- 
mitted, a  wide  range  of  skill  and  artistic  training:  the  rough 
bungling  of  the  native  and  the  ill-digested  culture  of  the  for- 
eigner. I  could  think  myself  back  to  a  time  when  I  might 
have  employed  some  cheap  Byzantine  of  set  habits,  some  ill- 
equipped  Barbarian,  some  Roman  dwelling  near  by  for  a  time 
—  perhaps  even  some  artist  keeping  alive  both  the  tradition 
and  culture  of  Greece.  In  all  the  heavy  prose  of  the  actual 
work  these  analogies  were  verified,  and  I  was  contented  with 
my  choice  of  a  scheme  that  might  meet  the  emergencies  of 
changing  subordinates  and  their  various  aptitudes,  as  well  as 
the  very  materials  I  could  use. 

"  Richardson  supported  me  usually,  but  sometimes  he 
exacted  concessions  to  disguise  what  he  thought  his  own 

22 


THE  BEGINNINGS 


mistakes,  which  variations,  being  made  to  please  him,  seemed 
yet  tome  unsuitable  and  inadequate;  while  certain  concessions 
had  to  be  made  for  merely  temporary  reasons, —  reasons  no 
longer  existing  when  the  work  was  completed.  Our  driving 
hurry,  increased  by  the  necessity  insisted  upon  by  the  architect 
of  never  appearing  undecided,  might  excuse  almost  anything. 
Still,  there  were  many  simple  points  in  which  for  outside  rea- 
sons one  had  to  yield  to  the  architect,  whose  theories  and  prac- 
tice were  limited.  It  will  always  be  difficult,  for  instance,  to 
have  a  mere  architect  understand  that  the  placing  of  stained- 
glass  windows  in  a  building  must  largely  modify  colour,  so  that 
a  hue  which  is  violent  in  out-of-door  light  may  become  very 
quiet  within,  as  we  know,  for  instance,  in  the  red  colours  used 
for  painting  brickwork. 

M  I  do  not  believe  that  you  young  architects  study  the  use  of 
colours  in  decoration  in  any  strict  manner,  so  that  my  point  of 
view  would  not  be  obvious  to  you,  as  it  might  have  been  long 
ages  ago.  Hut  the  use  of  colour  in  architectural  decoration, 
as  we  can  trace  it  in  the  older  work, —  the  Greek,  let  us  say,  or 
even  the  Pompeiau, —  is  not  a  mere  arrangement  of  pleasing 
tints.    It  is  a  matter  of  construction  by  colour.  .  .  . 

.  .  .  4k  I  have  gone  into  these  details  to  explain  more  fully 
how  much  of  a  change  I  proposed  to  make  from  the  habits  of 
previous  decoration.  I  have  always  been  impressed  by  one 
great  quality,  never  failing  in  the  work  of  the  past  that  we  care 
for.  It  may  be  bungling,  like  some  of  the  Romanesque,  for 
instance,  or  it  may  be  extremely  refined,  like  the  Greek;  but  it 
is  never  like  our  usual  modern  work,  which  suggests  machinery, 
that  is  to  say,  the  absence  of  personality.  I  knew  that  our 
work  at  Trinity  would  have  to  be  faulty,  but  this  much  I  was 

23 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


able  to  accomplish, —  that  almost  every  bit  of  it  would  be 
living,  would  be  impossible  to  duplicate.  I  was  fortunate  in 
having  the  assistance  of  five  or  six  men  whom  you  know,  inex- 
perienced, it  is  true,  but  artists,  and  as  far  as  possible  their 
hands  and  mine  worked  over  the  commonest  details  of  orna- 
ment quite  as  much  as  the  more  pretentious  figure  painting. 
In  fact,  I  frequently  took  for  myself  the  passages  of  ornament 
most  often  slurred  over  because  of  their  presumed  humility. 

"  Thus  we  may  be  said  to  have  turned  the  sharp  corner  of 
a  new  path,  which  of  course  is  the  old.  .  .  .  We  had  a  difficult 
time  of  it,  as  you  may  well  suppose.  Every  physical  discomfort 
was  against  us,  and,  moreover,  there  was  the  necessity  of  using 
improvised  methods,  and  of  employing  material  made  up  for 
the  occasion  which  yet  should  be  lasting,  and  all  this  in  what  I 
may  call  a  frantic  hurry.  At  the  end  we  had  to  work  both 
night  and  day,  and  were  only  able  to  guess  at  what  might  be 
the  result  when  the  scaffolding  should  come  down." 

Under  all  their  difficulties,  when  the  work  was  finished,  the 
result  was  such  an  artistic  effect  as  had  not  been  seen  in  this 
country  before.  Mr.  Richardson's  employment  of  the  Roman- 
esque style  had  been  continually  borne  in  mind  by  Mr. 
La  Farge  ;  and  his  decorations  gave  the  distinct  character  of 
the  period,  when  pagan  structures  were  turned  into  Christian 
churches,  and  mythological  imagery  was  mingled  with,  or 
adapted  to,  the  requirements  of  the  new  faith.  In  the  square 
central  tower  the  decorations  are  most  varied.  High  up  above 
the  windows  are  lunettes  containing  small  Bible  scenes.  One 
of  these,  a  child  leading  wild  beasts,  though  of  good  Old  Testa- 
ment inspiration,  might  well  have  been  found,  by  an  early 
Christian  architect,  on  a  temple  wall,  and  left  there  undisturbed 

26 


THE  BEGINNINGS 


when  the  building  was  altered.  Over  the  window  arches  are 
graceful  scrolls,  held  by  youthful  angels ;  and  in  the  side  spaces 
are  heroic  figures  of  Saint  Peter  and  Saint  Paul,  the  prophets 
Moses,  Jeremiah,  and  Isaiah,  and  the  young  King  David.  The 
painting  is  rather  flatly  done  on  the  terra-cotta  red  wall ;  and, 
although  most  of  the  detail  is  lost  from  the  distance  at  which 
the  spectator  is  obliged  to  stand,  an  ascent  to  the  gallery  well 
repays  one.  The  light  from  the  toned  windows  subdues  into 
the  effect  intended,  the  colouring,  which  was  at  first  exposed 
to  the  pitiless  glare  of  plain  white  glass,  and  suffered  somewhat 
therefore  from  criticism  at  the  time,  since  it  was  difficult  to 
make  the  public  understand  that  every  condition  of  the  com- 
pleted building  had  been  taken  into  consideration,  so  that  the 
work  might  be  of  permanent  value.  The  general  colour 
throughout  the  edifice  is  the  warm  terra-cotta  red  used  in  the 
tower;  and  with  this  harmonious  background,  and  the  magnifi- 
cent stained  glass  which  was  put  into  place  at  the  same  time, — 
the  positive  resurrection  of  a  decayed  art  which  has  made  Mr. 
La  Farge's  name  world-famous, —  the  remaining  paintings,  a 
figure  of  Saint  James  under  an  arch  in  the  north  transept  and 
two  panels,  Christ  and  Nicodemus  and  Christ  and  the  Woman 
of  Samaria  in  the  nave,  shine  like  rich  jewels  in  a  perfect  set- 
ting. An  extension  of  time  was  given  for  the  completion  of 
the  two  latter;  and,  when  the  other  scaffolds  throughout  the 
church  were  taken  down,  the  small  ones  were  allowed  to  re- 
main, that  the  work  might  be  continued  without  interruption. 
They  show  no  signs  of  haste,  uncertainty,  or  experiment,  but 
are  as  complete  in  effect,  as  assured  in  manner,  and  as  satisfy- 
ing as  though  the  artist  had  brought  to  the  task  multiplied 
experiences  and  years  of  matured  success.    Simplicity  of  com- 


27 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


position  is  one  of  the  charms  of  Mr.  La  Farge's  work.  He 
presents  the  events  of  the  Old  or  the  New  Testament  in  so 
natural  a  way  that  any  questioning  of  what  must  have 
happened  —  being  such  a  natural  matter  —  is  reduced  to  folly; 
and  this  fundamental  quality, —  the  spirit  of  a  believer  working 
through  the  mind  and  hand, —  in  conjunction  with  his  splendid 
artistic  powers,  gives  a  reality  to  his  religious  paintings  which 
is  rarely  found  in  the  art  or  literature  of  our  day. 

The  Woman  of  Samaria  has  the  easy  air  of  a  quiet  casual 
meeting.  The  woman  has  gone  out  to  fill  her  pitcher,  and 
rests  upon  the  stone  seat  built  inside  the  low  wall  that  sur- 
rounds the  well.  She  has  fallen  into  conversation  with  the 
stranger  also  seated  there  ;  and,  in  the  eagerness  with  which  she 
listens  to  the  words  that  fall  gently  from  his  lips,  she  clasps  the 
top  of  the  stone  with  one  hand.  Her  whole  attitude  is  one  of 
expectancy  and  hope.  The  white  clouds  flit  across  the  deep 
blue,  twilight  sky  behind  the  yellowish-brown  wall.  The  jar, 
showing  the  service  on  which  she  came,  stands  between  herself 
and  the  Christ;  and  in  the  gathering  dusk  her  white  raiment 
makes  a  subdued  light  note  with  the  deep  blue  and  red  of  his 
travelling  garments.  Their  feet  rest  upon  the  well-curb,  below 
which  gleams  the  surface  of  the  water. 

In  Christ  and  Nicodemus  the  meeting  is  also  in  the  twilight. 
The  pair  are  talking  beside  a  window,  through  which  is  seen 
a  low-toned  landscape.  Nicodemus,  wrapped  in  a  voluminous, 
red  mantle,  sits  upon  a  low  seat ;  and  the  light  coming  from 
an  unseen  source  brightens  his  old  face  and  brings  out  rich 
gleams  of  colour  in  the  folds  upon  his  bosom  and  lap.  Christ, 
placed  much  higher  on  the  canvas,  is  within  the  glow  of  the 
same  light,  which  illumines  the  blue  cloak  that  slips  from  one 

28 


THE  BEGINNINGS 


shoulder,  displaying  a  red  garment  underneath.  His  face  is  in 
quiet  shadow, —  a  most  patient,  lovable  countenance,  distinctly 
of  the  historical  type,  and  yet  not  belittled  into  prettiness. 
The  sentiment  of  repose,  so  pleasantly  conveyed  in  the  quiet 
scene,  the  arrangement  of  light,  which  brings  out  exquisite 
gleams  of  brightness  upon  a  rich  depth  of  tone,  and  the  in- 
teresting character  of  the  heads  combine  to  make  this  canvas 
one  which  dwells  long  in  the  memory. 

The  development  of  Mr.  La  Farge's  talents  was  ripe,  and 
the  stamp  of  his  individuality  is  upon  these  paintings.  In 
them  are  fully  embodied  the  qualities  of  style  that  are  recog- 
nised in  all  his  later  achievements,  and  give  them  a  distinction 
that  is  wholly  his  own ;  that  all  can  perceive,  all  admire,  but 
which  no  one  can  repeat,  since  they  are  the  unique  expression 
of  a  specially  constituted  artistic  temperament.  His  decorative 
feeling  is  unerring.  No  figure  or  tone  ever  tells  as  a  spot  or 
sounds  a  jarring  note  in  his  compositions.  He  sweeps  the 
effect  together  into  such  a  mass  of  light  and  shade,  colour  and 
design,  as  makes  it  seem  woven  into  one  piece;  and,  indeed,  a 
single  part  depends  so  much  upon  its  relation  to  the  whole 
that  fragments  removed  from  their  positions  —  especially  as 
their  interest  is  quite  often  independent  of  careful  drawing  or 
characterisation  —  are  usually  disappointing.  This,  indeed,  is 
the  true  principle  of  decoration,  without  which  all  that  is  done 
in  its  name  is  quite  unworthy, —  as  is  taught  now  in  art 
schools, —  although  Mr.  La  Large  did  not  gain  the  faculty  in 
any  school  or  by  any  code  or  teaching,  but  by  observation  of 
Italian  wall-paintings  and  Japanese  designs,  and  by  grace 
of  his  own  Heaven-sent  talents.  Added  to  this,  he  is  a  colourist 
of  the  very  first  rank.    There  is  something  supremely  natural 

29 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


in  the  beauty  of  this  dominant  quality.  It  is  as  if  the  artist  had 
very  clear  eyes  to  see  nature  in  its  true  colours,  which  ordinary 
eyes  can  guess  at,  but  fall  far  short  of  seeing  the  perfect  vision. 
His  harmonies  give  an  impression  of  splendid  reality.  This 
note  indeed  is  so  strong  that  it  makes  the  painting  itself  seem 
very  durable,  as  if  it  had  been  done  with  extremely  pure 
pigments,  and  in  a  manner  that  would  add  no  inner  decay  to 
the  changes  that  time  must  work  upon  it.  Only  those  who 
are  familiar  with  Mr.  La  Farge's  superb  gift  can  form  any  idea 
of  his  use  of  jewel-like  or  of  dull  aesthetic  tints,  and  the  un- 
erring judgment  with  which  he  places  them  together;  of  effects 
which  are  borrowed  from  the  sunrise  and  the  sunset ;  of  broad, 
rich  shadows,  lighted  where  folds  or  forms  permit,  into  brill- 
iancy that  suggests  the  opalescent  hues  that  he  loves  to  work 
into  his  glass  windows.  Every  shade  and  tone  is  upon  his 
palette,  and  their  combinations  are  unlimited.  But  to  describe 
the  effects  made  by  the  brush  of  a  great  colourist,  to  give  the 
aesthetic  power  of  the  whole  impression,  the  right  value  of 
shades  that  are  unique,  and  the  way  in  which  their  beauty  is 
heightened  and  transfigured  by  each  other,  is  beyond  the  power 
of  words. 

When  Trinity  Church  was  finished,  Mr.  La  Farge  was 
asked  to  decorate  St.  Thomas's  Church,  New  York.  He  made 
a  magnificent  design  for  the  pentagonal  chancel,  in  which  he 
combined  sculpture,  stained  glass,  painting,  carving,  and  inlay, 
such  an  ensemble  as  the  old  masters  would  have  loved ;  and  it 
was  in  their  spirit  that  the  work  was  carried  on,  for  not  only 
the  general  plan  and  the  wall  paintings  were  his  special  care, 
but  even  the  architectural  mouldings,  the  wood-work,  the  orna- 
ment of  the  picture  frames,  the  delicate  cornice,  and  the  elegant 

3° 


THE  BEGINNINGS 


pilasters  were  executed  under  his  supervision,  and,  indeed,  he 
sometimes  lent  a  hand  to  the  actual  work,  in  order  to  bring 
out  the  exact  results  he  had  in  mind.  His  design  was  not  en- 
tirely completed,  and  there  is  still  lacking  the  crowning  cornice 
and  the  pillars  which  were  to  frame  the  bishop's  chair;  and, 
although  this  condition  has  remained  for  so  many  years,  it  is 
to  be  hoped  that  the  time  will  come  when  the  artist  will  be 
given  the  opportunity  of  adding  these  important  accessories. 

The  centre  of  the  wall  under  the  high  windows  is  occupied 
by  a  reredos  in  alto-relievo  by  Augustus  St.  Gaudens,  the 
design  of  which  is  a  great  cross  with  four  tiers  of  angels  kneel- 
ing on  either  side.  The  remainder  of  the  space  is  filled  by  two 
large  paintings. 

The  subject  of  the  one  on  the  left  is  taken  from  the 
account  of  the  Resurrection  in  Saint  John's  Gospel.  In  a 
light  growth  of  tender  green  trees  is  the  narrow  tomb  on  the 
hillside  which  Joseph  of  Arimathea  gave  as  a  last  resting-place 
to  the  Crucified  One.  At  the  head  of  the  now  empty  sepul- 
chre the  Angel  of  the  Resurrection  sits,  with  outstretched 
wings.  In  the  foreground  kneels  Mary  Magdalen, —  who  had 
greeted  the  risen  Lord,  mistaking  him  for  the  gardener  as  he 
passed  by, —  she  stretches  out  her  hands  in  an  attitude  of 
supplication  and  prayer  as  she  recognises  who  it  is  that  she 
has  addressed.  The  landscape  is  bathed  in  the  soft,  diffused 
glow  of  early  morning,  the  hush  before  even  the  birds  grow 
noisy  is  upon  the  air,  the  sweetness  of  a  great  peace  reigns; 
and  the  light  that  is  dawning  over  the  hills  is  typical  of  the 
Light  which  has  just  risen  to  be  in  time  the  glorious  Sun  of  the 
new  order. 

The  scene  on  the  right  is  taken  from  the  last  chapter  of  the 

31 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


Gospel  of  Saint  Luke,  where  the  three  Marys  coming  to  the 
sepulchre  are  greeted  by  two  angels  in  shining  garments. 
Although  the  time  is  still  early  morning,  there  is  here  a  much 
brighter  light,  a  more  earthly  atmosphere,  than  in  the  com- 
panion picture,  the  expanse  of  sky  is  broken  by  golden  and 
orange-lined  clouds,  the  open  landscape  is  less  suggestive  of 
a  holy  place.  The  three  women  with  heavy  draperies  and 
head  covering,  which  make  rich  notes  of  peacock-blue,  dull 
red,  and  low-toned  pink,  stand  together,  receiving  the  heavenly 
messengers.  All  of  the  five  figures  are  nearly  upon  a  line  in 
the  foreground,  and  are  shown  in  profile  or  in  three-quarter 
view. 

The  two  large  paintings,  The  Nativity  and  The  Arrival  of 
the  Magi,  in  the  Church  of  the  Incarnation,  New  York,  were 
next  in  order  of  execution.  The  night  effect  is  strictly  main- 
tained in  them ;  and,  in  the  low  rich  tones  and  deep  colours 
there  is  a  mystery  of  things  half  seen. 

The  light  is  entirely  concentrated  upon  the  group  of  the 
mother  and  child  in  The  Nativity.  They  are  seen  through  an 
open  doorway  ;  and  Mary,  lying  upon  a  low  couch,  is  rising  upon 
her  elbow  to  lift  a  veil  from  the  sleeping  child  at  her  feet. 
Joseph  sits  upon  the  floor ;  and  their  garments  and  coverings, 
being  kept  in  different  shades  and  tones  of  white,  make  a 
radiant  contrast  with  the  darkness  out  of  doors.  On  the 
broken  pavement  outside  the  humble  dwelling  stand  three 
supernatural  beings  with  garments  of  red  and  shaded  blue: 
above  float  two  angels,  making  soft  notes  of  tawny  white  and 
blue ;  and  all  these  colours  differ  but  little  from  the  background 
in  tone,  and  are  half  absorbed  in  the  night. 

The  scene  of  The  Arrival  of  the  Magi,  being  entirely  out  of 

32 


From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1900,  by  Curtis  A  Cameron. 

ANGEL  OF  THE  IfOON.   By  John  LA  FARCE. 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


doors,  is  much  darker  than  The  Nativity,  a  little  of  the  illumina- 
tion spreading  out  from  the  room  being  its  only  light.  The  ar- 
rangement of  the  figures  is  remarkably  grand.  The  lines  sweep 
down  from  the  flight  of  angels  in  the  upper  corner,  across  the 
riders  elevated  on  their  horses,  to  the  angels  and  the  simple  old 
man  that  kneels  in  the  foreground,  making  an  impression  of 
great  majesty,  suggesting  all  the  glory  of  an  event  that  was 
ministered  to  by  angels,  and  which  a  pageant  of  kings,  journey- 
ing from  the  far  East,  in  all  the  pomp  of  their  rank  and  circum- 
stance, came  to  celebrate.  The  robes  of  the  angels  are  slightly 
iridescent  blue,  a  variation  of  the  dark  sky ;  and  the  kings, 
clad  in  deep  red,  in  armour,  and  in  blue-green,  with  their  at- 
tendants carrying  precious  gifts,  and  a  great  peacock-green 
standard, —  the  symbol  of  their  station, —  are  like  some  beauti- 
ful old  tapestry  background,  and  throw  into  relief  the  angelic 
being  in  trailing  yellow- white  garments  that  will  conduct 
them  on. 

The  narrow  windows  in  the  church  are  filled  with  such 
heavy  stained  glass  that  but  little  light  filters  through 
them,  and  the  chancel  is  very  dark ;  and  even  by  artificial 
light  the  detail  and  form  in  the  paintings  are  much  more 
obscure  than  the  artist  intended,  and,  although  the  obscurity 
prevents  a  close  examination  of  special  points,  it  is  not  an  un- 
becoming environment  for  their  rich,  dim  beauty. 

Two  years  later,  after  a  visit  to  Japan, —  which  sketches  made 
there  and  in  the  South  Sea  Island  and  An  Artist's  Letters 
from  Japan  have  rendered  famous, —  Mr.  La  Farge  was  asked  to 
join  a  committee  with  Stanford  White  and  Augustus  St.  Gau- 
dens,  with  a  view  to  decorating  the  Church  of  the  Ascension, 
New  York.    In  this  building  the  chancel  wall  is  unbroken  by 

34 


THE  BEGINNINGS 


windows,  owing  to  the  rectory  on  the  side  street  being  close 
against  it,  so  that  it  has  an  exceptionally  fine  area  for  decora- 
tive purposes.  The  result  of  the  committee's  deliberation  was 
shown  in  time,  when  immediately  above  the  altar  was  placed 
a  large  bas-relief  by  Louis  St.  Gaudens,  and  above  that  Mr. 
La  Farge's  masterpiece,  The  Ascension  of  our  Lord.  The 
word  "  masterpiece  "  is  used  with  assurance ;  for  any  one  that 
has  studied,  and  can  appreciate  what  went  to  make  up  the 
work  of  the  European  masters,  and  made  their  names  and  the 
periods  in  which  they  lived  immortal,  must  feel  that  here  is  the 
shadow  of  that  greatness  in  religious  art  which  is  bemoaned  as 
having  passed  away. 

The  composition  is  arranged  in  two  groups  :  one,  of  the 
ascending  Christ  amidst  the  clouds;  the  other,  of  the  disciples, 
with  Mary,  the  mother,  standing  upon  the  ground  and  gazing 
upon  the  wonder  that  will  soon  pass  beyond  their  vision.  The 
landscape  in  which  the  scene  is  set  is  high  and  mountainous. 
The  sketches  for  it  were  made  in  Japan,  where  the  artist  saw 
and  studied  some  of  the  grandest  scenery  that  there  is  in  the 
world;  and,  with  his  insight  into  the  mysteries  of  atmosphere 
and  colour,  lie  was  able  to  fix  upon  the  canvas  the  wonderful 
effect  of  sky  and  light  which  is  peculiar  to  the  country,  and  is 
considered  one  of  the  special  beauties  of  that  fascinating  land. 

Over  the  magnificent  outlines  of  the  mountain  tops  the 
clouds  come  down,  half  merging  them  into  the  unsubstantial 
skv-world.  The  reality  of  earth  i>  mingled  with  the  ethereal 
and  the  supernatural;  and  in  this  harmony  the  iridescent 
robes  of  the  angelic  cortege,  which  circles  around  the  ascending 
Lord,  are  as  beautifully  in  keeping  as  a  rainbow  in  a  summer 
sky.    Every  tone,  every  light  and  shade  or  note  of  colour,  in 

35 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


the  entire  composition  tends  to  focus  the  interest  upon  the 
figure  of  Christ.  He  rises  above  the  valley  with  majestic  car- 
riage. The  fine  large  mass  of  drapery  floating  from  his  shoulders 
adds  to  the  easy  poise  of  his  suspended  flight.  Behind  his 
head  a  diffused  light  illuminates  the  grandeur  of  the  cloud  forms, 
his  hand  is  raised  in  benediction,  he  is  departing  to  another 


Copyright,  1898,  by  John  La  Farge. 


ADORING  ANGELS.    By  JOHN  LA  FARGE. 

world,  of  which  the  winged  host,  floating  in  attitudes  of  prayer 
and  adoration,  but  foretell  the  glory. 

Below,  in  the  awe-stricken  group  of  watchers,  the  artist's 
brush,  still  instinct  with  splendour,  has  given  in  the  draperies 
of  the  clustering  men  a  mass  of  varied  colours,  of  such  rare 
tones  as  the  long-worn  garments  of  the  poor  gain  from  the 
kindly  sun  which  draws  out  the  crudeness  of  the  dyes. 

Before  a  work  of  art  of  such  an  order  as  this,  analysis  may 
lose  its  cunning,  and  criticism  need  not  raise  its  voice.  To 
understand  its  spiritual  and  artistic  quality  fully  is  to  see  be- 

36 


THE  BEGINNINGS 


yond  the  gates  which  creative  genius  alone  can  open  for  com- 
mon mortals.  An  artist  has  done  a  very  great  thing  for  his 
fellow-men  ;  when  he  has  done  this,  all  that  can  be  given  in  re- 
turn is  appreciation. 

This  year  was  a  very  busy  one  for  Mr.  La  Farge,  as  he 
also  completed  the  twenty-foot  tympanums  of  Mtisic  and  of  The 


From  Copley  Prints.    Copyright,  1S98,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 
IN  THE  CHURCH  OF  THI  PAUUST  FATHERS,  NEW  YORK  CITY. 

Drama  in  the  music-room  of  the  residence  of  Whitelaw  Reid, 
Esquire.  In  these,  fair  women  clad  in  rich  stuffs,  draped  in 
imitation  of  the  present  fashions  (without  their  ugliness),  read, 
dance,  and  play  upon  musical  instruments  in  most  delightful 
gardens. 

Mr.  La  Farge's  fame  as  a  landscape  painter  was  established 
before  the  decorative  beginning  was  made,  and  he  can  scarcely 
paint  an  uninteresting  or  conventional  outdoor  background. 
These  scenes  are  extraordinarily  lovely.  In  Music  especially 
the  overhanging  trees  and  the  play  of  light  and  shade  on  the 

M 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


uneven  ground,  the  rocks  and  shrubs  and  little  waterfalls, 
make,  with  the  quartette  of  handsome  women,  an  ensemble  as 
harmonious  as  the  strains  of  a  symphony  wherein  the  tones  of 
many  instruments  are  blended. 

This  closes  the  list  of  Mr.  La  Farge's  important  early  work, 
though  he  has  also  designed  and  superintended  the  decoration 
of  several  rooms  and  galleries  in  the  New  York  residence  of 
Cornelius  Vanderbilt,  Esquire,  and  of  the  Brick  Church,  New 
York,  the  Congregational  church,  Newport,  Rhode  Island,  and 
a  church  at  Portland,  Maine.  The  two  former  are  without 
mural  paintings:  the  latter  has  a  small  altar-piece. 


38 


II.  THE  MURAL  PAINTINGS 
OF  WILLIAM  MORRIS  HUNT 


With  the  building  of  the  State  Capitol  at  Albany,  New 
York,  a  step  forward  in  the  interest  of  our  subject  was  taken 
by  the  action  of  Lieutenant-Governor  Dorsheimer.  For  a 
number  of  years  the  Capitol  had  been  in  progress  of  erection; 
and,  although  in  1875  it  had  absorbed  five  millions  of  the 
public  money,  the  walls  had  been  raised  only  to  the  middle  of 
the  third  story.  Then  murmurs  began  against  such  an  ex- 
travagant outlay;  and  an  investigating  committee  was  formed, 
of  which  Mr.  Dorsheimer  was  the  chairman.  Looking  at  the 
matter  from  the  present  point  of  view,  it  seems  extraordinary 
that  this  committee  was  formed,  solely  with  the  idea  of  suggest- 
ing economical  measures  and  changes  that  would  result  in  cur- 
tailing  expenses,  and  not  at  all  with  the  aim  of  reforming  or 
improving  the  design.  That  it  could  be  altered  for  the  better, 
artistically,  never  seems  to  have  entered  any  one's  head,  the 
public  at  that  time  evidently  taking  its  architecture  blindly,  and 
accepting  the  fact  of  its  hideous  ugliness  in  a  contented  spirit. 
But  not  so  Mr.  Dorsheimer,  who  seems  to  have  been  the  first 
person  that  gave  the  plans  a  careful  and  intelligent  examina- 
tion, and,  finding  that  they  showed  the  most  extraordinary 
ignorance  of  any  architectural  order,  he  made  an  indignant 
protest  against  anything  so  undesirable,  rousing  sufficient  in- 
terest to  gain  the  point  of  taking  further  advice  before  continu- 
ing the  work,  and,  if  necessary,  placing  it  in  entirely  different 
hands. 

39 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


The  original  capitol  commissioners  had  been  chosen  more 
on  account  of  their  qualities  of  fortune  or  influence  than  for 
their  knowledge  of  the  subject  in  hand ;  and  one  of  the  reasons 
given  for  their  acceptance  of  the  favoured  drawings  was  that 
it  was  indorsed  by  leading  citizens.  Mr.  Dorsheimer  saw  the 
mistake  of  all  this,  and  insisted  upon  expert  criticism  and 
assistance,  and  formed  an  advisory  board  of  professionals,  con- 
sisting of  Frederick  Law  Olmsted,  Leopold  Eidlitz,  and  H.  H. 
Richardson. 

The  investigations  of  these  gentlemen,  and  the  answers  to 
the  questions  put  to  them,  were  published  in  a  report,  which 
showed  how  objectionable  the  edifice  would  be,  from  the  point 
of  view  of  art  as  well  as  that  of  the  expense,  and  proving  the 
structure  defective  and  inconvenient  as  a  building  in  which  to 
transact  the  public  business. 

This  led  to  an  abandonment  of  the  original  plans,  and  Mr. 
Eidlitz  and  Mr.  Richardson  were  empowered  to  complete  the 
work.  The  task  was  a  hampered  and  trying  one,  for  the  dimen- 
sions of  the  building  were  unalterable  unless  the  thick  walls 
were  razed ;  and,  this  not  being  feasible,  the  part  already  built 
had  to  remain  as  it  was.  Indeed,  all  that  could  be  done  to  the 
exterior  was  to  carry  out  the  upper  tier  of  windows  without 
making  too  great  a  contrast  with  those  already  finished,  and 
to  sweep  away  the  collection  of  forms  which  were  to  break  out 
at  the  top  story.  The  list  of  these  forms  included  eight  small 
copper-covered  domes  after  the  manner  of  Sir  Christopher 
Wren,  round  metal  dormers,  Greek  pediments,  Louis  XIV. 
pavilions,  ornamented  with  cast-iron  festoons  and  balustrades, 
and  iron  crestings  in  every  place  that  they  could  be  put;  and 
the  architects  endeavoured  to  replace  this  chaos  with  simple, 

40 


WILLIAM    MORRIS  HUNT 


dignified  lines,  that  should  redeem,  as  far  as  possible,  the  un- 
alterable defects  of  the  lower  part  of  the  pile. 

The  interior,  not  having  advanced  beyond  the  positions  of 
the  rooms  and  corridors,  gave  more  scope  for  improvement; 
yet  changes  were  not  made  without  raising  the  opposition  of 
the  partisans  of  the  first  plan. 

It  is  amazing  to  read  in  the  records  of  the  time  of  the  ex- 
citement created  because  Mr.  Richardson  did  not  confine  him- 
self to  the  style  already  employed  ;  and  there  was  a  great  up- 
heaval of  the  architectural  world,  which,  joined  to  objections 
made  from  other  motives,  Influenced  the  legislature  to  pass 
regulations  which  added  more  difficulties  to  those  already  in 
the  way  of  the  intended  changes.  Although  under  these  con- 
ditions the  work  of  the  reforming  architects  could  be  at  best 
but  scarcely  successful  patching,  yet  the  effort  was  important, 
and  has  been  dwelt  upon  at  this  length  because  it  marked  an 
artistic  advance  in  government  and  municipal  building,  which 
up  to  that  time  had  been  entirely  controlled  by  political  and 
commercial  interest. 

Farther  than  this,  the  occasion  was  one  of  particular  impor- 
tance to  us,  as  the  order  that  Mr.  Eidlitz  gave  William  Morris 
Hunt,  of  Boston,  for  two  mural  paintings  for  the  Assembly 
Chamber,  was  the  first  commission  for  the  decoration  of  a  pub- 
lic edifice  which  had  been  given  to  an  artist  of  ability. 

Mr.  Hunt  occupied  a  most  distinguished  position.  He  was  a 
very  well-known  and  popular  figure  in  the  city  of  his  residence, 
and  wherever  outside  of  it  there  were  people  interested  in 
painting,  and  of  sufficient  liberality  to  understand  the  strong 
and  noble  doctrine  of  art  that  he  preached,  the  broad  style  in 
which  he  worked,  and    his  laudation  of   the  contemporary 

41 


AMERICAN     MURAL  PAINTING 


French  school.  He  especially  admired  Jean  Francois  Millet, 
several  of  whose  canvases  he  purchased  and  brought  to  this 
country,  and  was  instrumental  in  creating  an  appreciative 
public  for  this  artist,  and  other  gifted  Frenchmen,  whose 
names  are  now  familiar  to  every  cultivated  person,  but  who 
were,  indeed,  novel  and  revolutionary  at  a  time  when  the 
Hudson  River  School  flourished.  Mr.  Hunt  had  had  remark- 
ably fine  advantages  when  a  young  man,  having  had  a  long 
residence  in  Europe,  and  no  stint  to  his  opportunities  for 
travelling,  and  visiting  the  celebrated  galleries.  He  was  a  most 
enthusiastic  admirer  of  Couture,  in  whose  atelier  in  Paris  he 
had  worked  until  he  had  so  absorbed  his  master's  style  that 
the  pupil's  studies  were  mistaken  for  those  of  the  more  cele- 
brated hand.  Although  this  imitation  ceased  with  the  student 
period,  the  breadth,  the  tone,  the  warm  colouring,  always  char- 
acteristic of  Mr.  Hunt's  style,  recalls  this  early  influence,  which, 
absorbed  by  his  fine  talent,  had  gained  merits  all  his  own. 

Let  us  not  forget  what  his  generation  —  and  those  which 
have  followed  —  owe  to  this  generous  and  noble-minded  prince 
of  gentlemen  and  painters.  His  influence  was  always  used  for 
the  promotion  of  true,  beautiful,  and  worthy  ideas.  He  was  the 
constant  friend,  consoler,  and  patron  of  those  less  fortunately 
placed  in  worldly  circumstances  than  himself,  and  was  ever 
ready  to  impart  for  the  benefit  of  others  whatever  his  rich 
experience  had  taught  him.  His  large  number  of  pupils  and 
circle  of  friends  adored  him.  This  sympathetic  tempera- 
ment undoubtedly  interfered,  with  concentrated  application  at 
his  own  easel,  and  prevented  the  completion  of  many  canvases; 
and  his  finished  accomplishment  has  suffered  severely  from  the 
evils  of  careless  preservation,  so  that  it  is  not  possible  to-day 

42 


WILLIAM    MORRIS  HUNT 


to  see  his  reputation  in  the  magnitude  in  which  it  appeared 
during  his  lifetime,  when  his  undoubted  gifts,  his  magnetism, 
and  his  enthusiasm  for  his  profession  and  his  fellow-workers 
commanded  the  admiration  of  all  that  knew  him. 

Mr.  Hunt  saw  in  this  order  for  the  Albany  Capitol  the 
realisation  of  a  long-cherished  dream  ;  for,  during  his  success- 
ful career  as  a  painter  of  portraits  and  easel  pictures,  he  had 
always  been  ambitious  to  become  a  decorator.  He  was  now 
over  fifty  years  old,  and  hesitated  over  the  offer,  doubting  his 
powers  and  fearing  his  inexperience.  For  some  time  he  re- 
mained in  a  state  of  indecision,  until  his  friends  succeeded  in 
urging  him  to  an  acceptance. 

As  long  before  as  1846  Mr.  Hunt  had  made  some  sketches, 
inspired  by  a  translation  from  a  Persian  poem,  which  described 
the  Oriental  queen  of  night,  Anahita,  driving  across  the  heavens 
in  her  chariot,  and  had  never  quite  abandoned  the  subject, 
turning  to  it  again  and  again,  making  .studies  for  the  figures, 
casts  for  the  horses, et-cetera.  In  1872  he  had  nearly  completed 
the  composition  on  a  fifty-foot  canvas  when  the  great  fire  of  Bos- 
ton reduced  his  studio  to  ashes;  and  all  that  remained  to  remind 
him  of  the  picture  was  a  small  photograph,  a  plaster  model  of 
the  horses,  and  a  sketch  of  a  mother  and  child  that  were  cradled 
in  the  clouds  at  one  side  of  the  central  figure.  The  commis- 
sion for  the  Albany  Capitol  gave  Mr.  Hunt  the  chance  of  re- 
painting this  favourite  theme,  and  with  the  meagre  remains  of 
his  former  studies  he  began  the  work  of  reconstruction. 

The  second  decoration  was  also  a  revival  of  an  early  idea, 
for  in  Mr.  Hunts  student  days  he  had  made  a  sketch  of  Colum- 
bus on  the  ocean,  sustained  by  attending  spirits,  which  was  now 
amplified  into  The  Discoverer.    The  order  for  the  paintings  — 

45 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


which  were  to  be  fifteen  by  forty-five  feet  in  size  —  was  given 
in  June,  1878;  and  they  were  to  be  completed  in  December. 
Several  months  were  to  be  given  to  preliminary  studies,  as  Mr. 
Hunt  wished  to  paint  directly  upon  the  walls  of  the  room. 
The  scaffolds  enabling  him  to  do  it  were  to  be  erected  about 
the  first  of  September;  but,  through  one  of  the  delays  unavoid- 
able in  such  a  great  architectural  undertaking,  they  were  not 
completed  until  so  much  later  that  the  actual  painting  was 
done  in  about  two  months. 

It  is  usually  the  custom  of  mural  painters  of  the  present 
day  to  work  on  large,  carefully  prepared  canvases,  which,  when 
completed,  are  taken  off  the  stretchers,  rolled  up,  and  trans- 
ported to  the  destination,  where  they  are  fastened  in  place  by 
being  rolled  flat  upon  the  wall  or  ceiling,  which  has  been  cov- 
ered with  a  thickness  of  white  lead  and  varnish ;  this  method 
being  commended  for  durability,  since  the  cracking  of  plaster 
and  the  extremes  of  heat  and  cold  cause  decay  and  ruin.  Al- 
though plain  surfaces  lend  themselves  most  readily  to  a  surface 
of  canvas,  experiments  are  continually  being  tried  in  Paris  with 
a  view  to  conquering  the  difficulties  of  the  dome,  and  by  careful 
goring  make  whole  canvases  that  will  fit  exactly  into  a  concave 
shape.  Mr.  Hunt,  however,  would  not  consider  any  such  mod- 
ern way.  He  felt  that  a  wall  painting  belied  its  name  unless  it 
was  an  absolute  part  of  the  wall,  and  insisted  upon  carrying  out 
his  work  according  to  the  traditions  of  the  Italian  frescoists. 
The  Assembly  Chamber  is  lined  with  creamy  sandstone ;  and 
he  made  experiments  with  colours  upon  pieces  of  this  stone 
sent  him  by  the  architect,  and  submitted  them  to  severe  tests 
of  cold,  so  that  he  felt  assured  that  nothing  could  alter  his 
pictures,  but  that  they  would  last  as  long  as  the  room  existed. 

46 


WILLIAM    MORRIS  HUNT 


But  this  was  a  great  mistake ;  for  the  great  pile  in  settling 
proved  to  have  been  so  poorly  constructed  that  the  walls  fell 
out  of  plumb,  tottering  pillars  had  to  be  propped  with  wooden 
beams  and  ceilings  supported  by  iron  girders,  and  his  work 
suffered  in  the  general  destruction.  Had  Mr.  Hunt  painted 
upon  canvas,  it  would  have  been  possible  to  have  taken  the 
decorations  down ;  and,  even  though  they  had  remained  for 
years  rolled  up  and  stored  in  one  of  the  attics,  undoubtedly 
with  the  growth  of  interest  in  such  matters  the  time  would 
have  come  when  the  public  would  have  demanded  their  res- 
toration to  an  honourable  place.  But  under  the  circumstances 
their  fate  was  sealed.  The  walls  on  which  they  were  painted 
had  to  be  braced  to  support  the  straining  roof.  In  ten  years 
after  they  were  finished,  they  had  vanished  from  sight,  owing 
to  changes  which  were  absolutely  necessary  to  preserve  the 
building. 

The  writers  period  of  mature  judgment  does  not  date  back 
to  the  time  when  the  paintings  were  to  be  seen  ;  but  every 
effort  has  been  made  to  construct  a  correct  idea  of  them  from 
sketches,  studies,  and  contemporary  opinion. 

There  is  a  grandeur  and  spirit  about  The  Flight  of  Night 
—  this  name  was  substituted  for  the  Persian  one  —  that 
awakens  enthusiasm  even  for  a  small  sketch  ;  and  on  the  final 
large  scale  it  must  have  been  exceedingly  impressive.  In  the 
foreground  three  galloping  horses,  black,  white,  and  bay,  led  by 
a  nude  man  carrying  a  torch,  were  dragging  forward  a  mass  of 
purplish-gray  cloud,  shaped  to  the  form  of  a  throne,  upon 
which  was  seated  the  Goddess  of  Night.  Behind  her  shone 
the  crescent  moon.  On  one  side  the  cloud  formed  itself  into 
a  hollow,  wherein  slept  a  mother  and  child,  with  grey  robes 

49 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


harmonising  with  the  cloud.  The  suggestion  of  a  canopy  over 
them  was  upheld  by  a  cherub.  The  fine  sweep  of  the  lines  of 
composition,  the  spirited  action  of  the  rearing  and  galloping 
steeds,  with  their  silhouettes  cutting  against  the  sky,  the  uses 
of  large  masses  of  light  and  shade,  the  colour,  which  is  said 


From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1898,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 

DETAIL  FROM  THE  FLIGHT  OF  NIGHT.    By  W.  M.  HUNT. 

to  have  been  softly  grey,  touched  with  brilliant  tones  to  pre- 
vent a  leaden  effect,  with  the  broad  handling  which  was  Mr. 
Hunt's  method  even  in  a  small  compass,  brings  a  picture  be- 
fore the  mind's  eye  which  must  have  been  one  of  the  finest 
examples  of  this  interesting  artist's  style;  and  its  untimely  fate 
cannot  be  deplored  too  greatly. 

5° 


From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  iSoS,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 

FORTUNE  (I)ktail  from  Thk  Discovhrkk).    By  WILLIAM  MORRIS  HUNT. 


r 


W  ILLIA  M    MORRIS  HUNT 


The  Discoverer  was  in  a  low,  quiet  key  of  falling  twilight. 
Columbus,  a  tall,  black  figure  in  the  centre,  was  a  dark  note 
amid  the  soft,  neutral  tints  of  sea  and  sky,  from  which  the 
afterglow  of  sunset  had  almost  faded.  Before  him  swam  Faith, 
and  Hope  clung  to  the  prow  of  the  boat,  while  Science  held 
a  scroll  at  the  traveller's  feet,  and  Fortune  stood  at  the  helm. 
In  the  original  study  the  fine  conception  of  winged  Fortune, 
with  the  large  drapery  twisted  about  her  upraised  arm  and 
blown  out  sail-fashion,  was  much  higher  on  the  canvas,  and  was 
more  pleasingly  composed  with  the  explorer's  figure  than  in 
the  final  painting,  where,  in  order  to  give  the  buoyant  move- 
ment of  the  boat  rising  on  the  swell  of  the  wave  and  to  fit  the 
figures  to  the  shape  of  the  arch,  Fortune  was  placed  much 
lower,  leaving  the  Discoverer  unpleasantly  detached  and  awk- 
wardly top-heavy  in  the  tiny  craft.  Despite  this,  however, 
which  is  very  noticeable  only  on  comparison  with  the  finer 
proportions  of  the  sketch,  many  persons  considered  this  paint- 
ing superior  to  The  Flight  of  Night,  the  very  noble  types  of 
womanhood  shown  in  the  figures  of  Faith,  Hope,  and  Fortune 
probably  accounting  for  this  popularity.  When  at  the  open- 
ing of  the  legislature  the  paintings  were  unveiled,  the  admira- 
tion excited  by  them  was  so  great  that  a  scheme  was  put  on 
foot  to  have  the  artist  spend  a  number  of  years  —  perhaps  the 
rest  of  his  life  —  in  Albany,  devoting  his  entire  time  to  deco- 
rating the  Assembly  Chamber.  Mr.  Hunt  was  fired  with  en- 
thusiasm  at  the  thought,  and  began  an  enormous  plan,  which 
was  to  include  two  panels  of  his  favourite  subject,  Niagara 
Falls,  many  figures  symbolising  commerce,  education,  agricult- 
ure, law,  et-cetera,  and  compositions  showing  the  various  la- 
bours upon  which  architecture  depends,  the  picturesque  aspects 

53 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


of  these  having  impressed  him  upon  seeing  the  builders  and 
architects  at  work  while  his  painting  was  going  on. 

The  legislature  voted  a  hundred  thousand  dollars  for  the 
purpose,  and  the  artist's  letters  to  his  family  and  friends 
were  rapturous  over  what  seemed  the  great  opportunity  of 
his  life.  But,  when  the  bill  went  before  the  Governor  for 
signature,  he  used  his  power  of  veto,  as  he  did  not  feel  that 
he  could  take  the  responsibility  of  appropriating  such  an 
enormous  sum  for  the  purpose ;  and  when  the  general  lack  of 
interest  in  art,  at  the  time,  is  taken  into  consideration,  and  the 
dissatisfaction  caused  by  the  millions  already  squandered  on 
the  Capitol,  it  seems  almost  impossible  that  an  official  that 
valued  the  public  favour  could  have  decided  otherwise.  Look- 
ing back  now  upon  the  unfortunate  history  of  the  part  com- 
pleted, Governor  Robinson's  action  probably  served  the  cause 
of  art ;  for,  had  so  great  a  sum  been  spent  for  paintings  which 
would  soon  have  been  destroyed  by  leaking  windows  and  props 
of  wood  and  iron,  the  scandal  might  have  been  such  as  to  pre- 
vent later  advancement  by  the  government. 

But,  although  at  this  date  it  is  easy  to  reason  philosophically 
about  the  matter,  the  veto  was  a  terrible  blow  to  Mr.  Hunt, 
who  was  inconsolable.  His  death  occurred  not  long  after,  so 
that  he  was  saved  the  pain  of  knowing  of  the  brief  existence  of 
The  Flight  of  Night  and  The  Discoverer. 

All  that  remains  now  of  his  high  hopes  and  of  the  most 
important  effort  of  his  life  are  a  few  sketches  and  studies 
scattered  in  various  places, —  melancholy  remnants,  indeed; 
and  one  cannot  help  feeling  that  the  genial  artist  who  brought 
help  and  comfort  to  Jean  Francois  Millet  in  his  dark  hours 
of  poverty,  and  to  many  another  struggling  fellow-worker, 
deserved  better  treatment  at  the  hands  of  Fate. 


54 


III.     EARLY    PROGRESS  IN 

THE  ART. 


Between  the  time  when  Mr.  La  Far^e  and  Mr.  Hunt  made 
their  brilliant  entrance  upon  this  new  field  and  the  year  of  the 
Columbian  Exposition  at  Chicago, —  which  proved,  as  will  be 
shown  later,  to  be  a  turning-point  in  the  development  of  the  art 
of  Mural  Painting  and  of  the  public  interest  in  it, —  although 
occasionally  a  few  panels  or  a  single  ceiling  would  be  included 
in  the  plans  for  a  costly  building,  the  whole  tale  of  all  that  was 
accomplished  is  a  very  short  one.  The  departure  was  not  re- 
garded as  the  commencement  of  a  new  movement,  but  as  some- 
thing  extraordinary,  which  owed  its  success  to  peculiar  genius 
and  a  fortunate  conjunction  of  circumstances,  and  would  prob- 
ably be  confined  to  the  two  artists  in  question. 

Photographs  of  the  drawings  and  cartoons  for  the  paintings 
in  Trinity  Church  and  the  Albany  Capitol  hung  in  the  art 
schools,  and  were  owned  by  a  very  few  persons  with  decidedly 
artistic  tastes,  who  looked  upon  them  with  something  of  the 
awe  with  which  the  works  of  the  Old  Masters  are  regarded  ; 
and  the  keenest  critic  or  student  of  the  times,  the  artists  them- 
selves, never  dreamed  that  the  great  artistic  future  lay  here, 
and  that  the  reputations  then  being  made  by  easel  pictures 
would  vanish  in  a  few  years  before  the  fame  of  their  decora- 
tions. 

Many  of  the  men  who  are  now  prominent  will  confess  that 
this  was  the  hidden  ambition  which  they  never  expected  to 
realise,  just  as  Mr.  Hunt  treasured  the  wish  through  his  long 
life,  and  could  scarcely  believe  his  good  fortune  when  his 

55 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


hopes  were  finally  given  the  opportunity  to  materialise.  For 
it  was  but  natural  that  artists  that  had  travelled  abroad,  or, 
even  if  they  had  been  obliged  to  stay  at  home,  yet  were  ac- 
quainted with  the  history  of  their  profession,  would  distrust 
themselves  and  their  era,  and  feel  that  mural  painting  belonged 
to  the  giants  of  more  heroic  ages,  and  that  the  hope  of  rival- 
ling or  even  imitating  them  could  scarcely  be  indulged.  And, 
though  the  time  was  one  of  extreme  discouragement,  yet  it  is 
not  entirely  without  interest,  because  within  the  period  a  few 
of  our  most  distinguished  decorators  set  out  upon  the  path 
upon  which  they  were  to  continue  with  gain  to  themselves  and 
the  public. 

Of  those  that  assisted  Mr.  La  Farge  at  Trinity  Church, 
Francis  D.  Millet  was  best  known  by  his  easel  pictures,  his 
opportunities  for  decoration  having  been  few.  Francis  La- 
throp,  soon  afterward  executed  several  ambitious  compositions 
which  were  placed  in  prominent  positions,  one  of  which  was 
a  panel  above  the  stage  in  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House. 
Almost  all  of  these  paintings  were  destroyed,  either  by  fire 
or  by  necessary  repairs  and  alterations.  Mr.  Lathrop  is  now 
highly  esteemed  as  an  artist-decorator,  in  the  more  strictly 
commercial  sense  of  the  word. 

George  W.  Maynard  first  followed  his  master  with  the  panels 
containing  figures  of  Moses  and  David,  in  St.  James's  Church, 
Jamaica  Plain,  Massachusetts,  and  then  turned  his  attention  to 
working  in  the  Pompeian  style,  with  which  he  is  now  identified, 
and  which  he  has  carried  to  a  high  degree  of  perfection.  These 
slender,  classical  figures,  with  short  gowns  showing  rounded 
limbs  and  floating  hair  around  their  pretty  faces,  are  delight- 
ful revivals  of  the  graceful  Roman  art,  and  have  met  with 

56 


EARLY    PROGRESS    IN   THE    A  R  T 


great  appreciation.  Among  the  large  number  of  commissions 
that  he  has  been  called  to  execute  have  been  The  Ballet  and 


'      N  J 

4-*- 

A 


j^- ; — 

From  the  Artist's  t  >ripin.il  Sket(  lies 

THE  BALLET  am»  THE  CHORUS,   liv  c.EORGK  w.  mavnard. 


The  Chorus  at  the  side  of  the  stage  in  the  Metropolitan  Opera 
House,  afterward  destroyed  by  fire,  and  panels  for  the  house  of 
William  Rockefeller,  Esquire,  at  Tarrytown-on-the-Hudson,  for 

57 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


the  Hotel  Ponce  de  Leon,  St.  Augustine,  Florida,  and  the  Im- 
perial and  Plaza  Hotels,  New  York. 

In  this  connection  Frederic  Crowninshield  must  always  be 
respectfully  remembered  as  one  that  had  given  the  subject 
very  serious  study,  and  was  thoroughly  familiar  with  its  brill- 
iant history  and  traditions,  and  who  both  by  his  own  work  and 


From  the  Century  Magazine,  by  permission. 

THE  BOWLING  GREEN. 


by  writing  did  much  to  raise  the  standards  of  opinion  in  this 
country. 

Edwin  H.  Blashfield's  first  decoration  was  a  ceiling  in 
the  New  York  residence  of  Hamilton  McK.  Twombly,  Esquire. 
This  is  composed  in  three  panels.  In  the  large  central  one 
Morning  is  borne  through  the  air  on  a  bed  of  roses  by  a  flock 
of  cherubs.    She  holds  a  lyre,  upon  which  she  strikes  the  notes 

58 


EARLY    PROGRESS    IN    THE  ART 

  ( 


that  dispel  the  clouds  of  night  before  her.  In  the  side  panels 
are  attendant  figures,  one  a  handsome  dark  beauty,  with  a 
swirling  mantle  wrapped  about  her  classic  robe,  who  scatters 
flowers  as  she  floats  upward.  The  other,  helmeted  and  bearing 
a  lance  in  her  hand,  holds  a  shield  between  her  face  and  the 
clouds  that  she  is  challenging. 


Copyright,  1S95.  bf  ,ne  Century  Company. 

Bv  EDWIN  A.  ABBEY. 


Henry  Siddons  Mowbray  began  with  a  small  painting,  The 
Month  of  Roses,  for  the  New  York  Athletic  Club,  Travers 
Island;  Edwin  A.  Abbey,  with  the  The  Bowling  Green,  in  the 
Hotel  Imperial,  New  York.  The  picturesqueness  of  costumes, 
arrangement,  and  accessories  that  was  afterward  to  make  the 
success  of  The  Quest  of  the  Holy  Grail  in  the  Boston  Library 
is  shadowed  forth  in  tin's  pleasing  canvas,  which  shows  a  scene 

59 


AMERICAN     MURAL  PAINTING 


Reproduced  by  permission  from  Harper's  Weekly.  Copyright,  1901,  by  Harper  &  Brothers. 

NIGHT,  DAY,  AND  DAWN.    Ceiling  by  T.  W.  DEWING. 


during  the  Dutch  occupation  of  Manhattan  Island.  In  the 
background  is  the  river  bordered  by  steep-roofed  houses,  and  in 
the  foreground  a  number  of  burghers  have  relaxed  their  dignity 
upon  this  pleasant  spring  day  and  are  playing  a  game  of  bowls. 


EARLY    PROGRESS    IN    THE  ART 


The  unfulfilled  desire  for  mural  painting  was  turned  in  the 
direction  of  the  decorative  easel  picture,  which  was  a  marked 
feature  of  the  exhibitions  of  the  period.  Will  H.  Low  was  one 
of  the  most  notable  adherents  to  this  style,  and  he  always 
speaks  with  gratitude  of  the  inestimable  benefit  that  he  derived 
from  his  working  for  and  with  Mr.  La  Farge  in  1 880-81.  He 
also  made  numerous  projects  and  sketches  on  his  own  account, 
though  none  of  these  reached  completion  until  more  than  ten 
years  later. 

Thomas  W.  De wing's  early  pictures  had  the  appearance  of 
fine  mural  paintings  complete  and  perfectly  finished  in  a  small 
compass.  One  of  them,  inspired  by  Emerson's  poem  of  The 
Days,  for  beauty  of  colour  and  composition,  for  elegance  of 
drawing  and  rare  aesthetic  feeling,  dwells  in  the  memory  as  a 
model  of  style.  The  ceiling  in  the  cafe  of  the  Hotel  Imperial, 
New  York,  was  his  first  large  undertaking.  In  the  centre  of  its 
circle  are  grouped  the  figures  of  Nighty  Day,  and  Dawn.  Be- 
hind them  is  a  pale  blue  sky  with  soft  mellow  clouds  toward 
the  circumference,  and  others  lightly  passing  across  the  space, 
the  cloud  effect  giving  the  idea  of  the  action  of  the  figures, 
which  is  the  gentlest  floating  motion,  the  lower  part  of  their 
draperies  fading  away,  so  that  they  are  absorbed  into  the  clouds. 
A7/;'///,  a  brunette  with  black  hair,  wears  a  robe  of  violet-grey; 
fair-haired  Day,  one  of  pale  green  ;  and  her  blond  sister  Dawns 
is  warm  pink.  Day  sits  in  the  lap  of  Night,  who  clings  to 
Dawns  hand,  though  there  is  a  most  delicate  suggestion  that 
Dawn  is  loosing  her  hold,  and  will  soon  leave  them.  The 
colouring  makes  an  impression  of  fluctuating  opalescence,  and 
the  painting  is  characterised  by  the  elegance  and  beauty  which 
distinguished  the  artist's  pictures. 

61 


IV.   THE  COLUMBIAN  EX- 
POSITION 


A  point  has  now  been  reached  where  the  enormous  reserve 
of  artistic  strength  in  the  country  was  suddenly  brought  out  by 
the  demands  and  requirements  of  the  time ;  and  the  splendid 
vigour  of  youth,  which  is  as  marked  in  nations  as  in  individuals, 
was  shown  by  the  rapid  development  of  hitherto  unsuspected 
talents,  that  swept  all  impediments  before  them,  and  realised 
their  ideal  in  a  first  triumphant  effort.  With  the  highest  ap- 
preciation of  the  work  that  has  been  considered  in  the  preced- 
ing chapters,  it  must  be  admitted  that  as  yet  mural  painting 
had  awakened  no  very  great  enthusiasm.  Artists,  architects, 
and  a  small  circle  of  travelled  persons,  to  whom  wall  pictures  in 
the  old  country  were  a  familiar  sight,  constituted  the  body  of 
those  that  admired  or  even  recalled  the  existence  of  the  art  in 
this  country.  But  now  the  subject  became  of  national  impor- 
tance, and  the  interested  public  grew  from  hundreds  to  millions. 
Newspapers  and  magazines  were  illustrated  with  drawings  and 
cartoons  of  the  decorations,  and  items  concerning  progress  at 
the  seat  of  labour  were  constantly  reported.  For  at  Jackson 
Park  near  Chicago,  in  the  summer  of  1892,  a  band  of  men  were 
righting  out  the  question  whether  American  artists  had  talent 
sufficiently  broad  and  strong  to  carry  them  to  successful  achieve- 
ment in  this  most  important  field,  or  whether,  sinking  back  on 
the  excuses  of  our  lack  of  traditions,  our  inexperience,  and 
limitations  of  temperament,  we  should  have  to  condone  a  high- 
spirited -effort  that  ended  in  failure,  and,  admitting  that  the  time 

62 


THE    COLUMBIAN  EXPOSITION 


was  not  yet  ripe,  leave  our  decorations  —  if  we  were  ever  to 
have  any  —  to  the  genius  of  coming  generations.  The  way 
the  problem  was  solved  is  now  a  matter  of  history.  From  this 
occasion,  which  was  the  first  great  opportunity  offered  a  num- 
ber of  artists  where  architecture,  sculpture,  and  painting  could 
work  together,  dates  a  development  in  the  fine  arts,  and  in  the 
taste  for  them,  which  has  already  borne  rich  fruit,  and  which 
promises  to  extend  beyond  any  limits  that  can  be  foreseen. 

The  memory  of  the  whole  Exposition  will  remain  as  an  evi- 
dence of  the  devotion  to  the  ideal,  which  is  as  distinctly  Amer- 
ican as  a  turn  for  mechanics.  Our  foreign  brethren  had  de- 
cided already  just  what  the  aims  of  the  architects  would  be  and 
the  lines  on  which  the  buildings  would  be  planned.  They 
looked  forward  to  triumphs  of  invention  more  hideous  than  the 
unsightly  Eiffel  Tower  that  destroys  the  beautiful  sky-line  of 
Paris,  and  expected  to  see  gigantic  packing-boxes  made  of  iron 
and  stucco  in  imitation  of  sky-SC raping  apartment  houses  and 
office  buildings.  They  thought  that  our  imaginative  faculties 
would  turn  toward  minarets  and  steeples  curiously  constructed 
out  of  steel,  and  over  all  this  monstrous  ugliness  the  spirit  of 
manufacture  and  utility  would  reign  supreme,  commanding  the 
admiration  that  is  conceded  to  the  locomotive.  And  what  was 
the  reality  ?  Our  architects,  unaided  by  experience  or  precedent, 
and  guided  solely  by  theories  and  enthusiasm,  made  on  the  great 
waste  space  allotted  to  them  a  fair  white  vision  of  palaces  that  was 
lovingly  named  by  popular  voice  The  White  City^  The  Fair  City, 
and  The  City  of  Dreams,  and,  calling  sadly  to  mind  how  short- 
lived so  much  beauty  must  be,  since  it  was  doomed  to  destruc- 
tion in  a  few  months,  7V/e  I  'anishing  City.  Nothing  like  it 
was  ever  seen  before  or  is  likely  to  be  seen  again.    The  vast- 

63 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


ness  of  the  undertakings,  the  great  spaces  that  were  roofed 
over  or  made  to  blossom  as  the  rose,  the  wealth  of  money  that 
was  poured  out  unstintingly,  is  like  some  old  tale  of  fairy 
palaces  built  by  magic.  The  creation  was  a  fairy  tale  in  fact, 
which  the  imagination  of  a  body  of  architects,  with  Beaux-Arts 
training  behind  them,  told  in  iron  and  plaster  for  the  delight 
and  edification  of  the  world.  Before  even  the  foundations  were 
laid,  these  men  by  common  agreement  made  their  plans  in  such 
a  relation  to  one  another,  and  to  the  environment,  that  effective 
grouping  should  be  a  certainty.  And  who  that  saw  the  result 
will  ever  forget  the  harmony  of  the  vast  yet  ethereal  edifices 
that  stood  about  the  great  lagoon,  as  though  conjured  there 
from  a  dream  of  classic  beauty  ?  What  pictures  their  long  re- 
flections made  in  the  water, —  the  broad  flights  of  marble  steps 
leading  up  from  the  brink,  the  terraces  with  the  balustrades 
overtopped  by  masses  of  flowers,  and  the  gleam  of  majestic 
rows  of  pillars  and  extended  courts  rising  to  fine  outlines  of 
domes  and  arches  against  the  greenery  beyond  !  This  is  not 
the  place  to  dwell  upon  special  buildings  or  notable  features 
that  have  no  direct  bearing  upon  our  subject;  but,  taken  as  a 
whole,  they  were  not  more  wonderful  as  an  artistic  achievement 
than  as  an  example  of  the  spirit  of  co-operation  that  had  brought 
the  architects  from  many  cities,  working  together  with  a  com- 
mon purpose,  and  this,  the  moving  spirit  that  lay  beneath  the 
great  plan  of  the  whole  exhibition,  was  carried  into  its  smallest 
details. 

The  administrative  body  that  had  transmitted  this  influ- 
ence to  the  architects  pursued  the  same  course  when  the 
ornamentation  of  the  buildings  and  grounds  was  brought  into 
question.    The  intention  of  having  one  artist  of  the  highest 

64 


THE    COLUMBIAN  EXPOSITION 


reputation  that  would  superintend  the  general  plan  of  decora- 
tion, select  those  of  his  fellow-artists  that  were  best  fitted  to 
carry  out  the  work,  and  have  a  supervision  over  the  progress 
of  affairs,  was  carried  out  by  nominating  Augustus  St. 
Gaudens  to  take  charge  of  the  department  of  sculpture,  and 
Francis  D.  Millet  of  the  mural  paintings.  As  Mr.  St. 
Gaudens's  reputation  is  paramount,  no  other  sculptor  could 
have  been  suggested  for  the  place ;  and,  while  Mr.  Millet  held 
no  such  superiority  over  the  mass  of  painters,  his  preferment 
was  a  particularly  happy  one,  as  he  is  gifted  with  wide  sym- 
pathies and  most  catholic  tastes,  so  that  his  fellow-workers 
were  chosen  without  bias  and  with  a  judgment  that  in  almost 
every  case  proved  to  be  far-sighted.  Since  the  amount  of  de- 
tail to  be  attended  to  required  more  attention  than  one  person 
could  possibly  bestow,  Charles  Yardley  Turner  was  associated 
with  him  as  assistant. 

The  cheerfulness  with  which  Mr.  Millet  faced  his  position 
recalled  the  episode  of  his  youth  when  he  was  a  war  corre- 
spondent, because,  while  Mr.  St.  Gaudens  had  at  his  command 
sculptors  of  all  ranks  ready  to  do  his  bidding,  Mr.  Millet  had 
no  such  body  to  call  upon, —  the  number  of  decorators  required 
did  not  exist, —  and  was  obliged  to  make  his  own  working 
corps.  His  judgment  was  in  favour  of  selecting  a  number  of 
artists  of  a  good  rank,  and,  whether  experienced  or  inexperi- 
enced, putting  them  to  work,  and  letting  them  show  what  was 
in  them;  for  in  this  way  the  old  wall  paintings  had  come 
into  existence,  and  he  knew  of  no  better  way  than  to  follow 
such  an  excellent  precedent.  Choice  was  made  of  J.  Alden 
Weir,  Edwin  Blashfield,  George  W.  Maynard,  Robert  Reid, 
Charles   S.   Reinhart,  Carroll   Beckwith,   Edward  Simmons, 

65 


AMERICAN     MURAL  PAINTING 


Kenyon  Cox,  Gari  Melchers,  W.  De  Leftwich  Dodge,  and 
Walter  McEwen  to  undertake  the  work.  In  reading  over 
these  names,  it  is  a  tribute  to  the  broad  governing  spirit  of 
the  management  of  the  Exposition  that  desired  the  best  re- 
sults, regardless  of  any  political  or  local  distinctions,  that  these 
men  were  called  upon  solely  because  of  their  artistic  ability, 
and  were  almost  all  from  the  East. 

Excepting  Messrs.  Blashfield  and  Maynard,  all  were  novices. 
Most  of  them  were  well  past  their  third  decade,  and  had  thus 
far  gained  their  fame  by  their  easel  pictures  ;  and  by  this  change 
they  were  now  confronted  not  only  with  Herculean  labours  and 
many  vexatious  complications,  but  with  what  might  prove  in 
case  of  failure  a  most  mortifying  incident  in  their  honourable 
records.  Considerable  imagination  was  required  to  turn  from 
the  scale  of  a  small  picture  to  that  required  for  a  dome  of 
the  Manufactures  and  Liberal  Arts  Building.  Some  idea  of 
the  vastness  of  the  space  is  recalled  by  the  fact  that  the  great 
roof  which  supported  the  eight  domes  was  three  times  as  large 
as  St.  Peter's  at  Rome;  and,  from  the  nature  of  the  concave 
surfaces  to  be  decorated,  the  painting  could  not  be  done  on 
canvas  and  then  stretched  in  place,  but  had  to  be  executed 
directly  on  the  plaster  at  a  tremendous  height  from  the  floor, 
with  scaffoldings  and  ladders  forming  a  vantage-ground  for 
the  artists  and  their  assistants.  The  proportions  of  everything 
were  so  enormous  that  Mr.  Blashfield  made  a  sketch  showing 
one  of  the  painters  at  work  in  his  dome,  the  great  allegori- 
cal figures  that  his  hand  had  created  dwarfing  him  into  the 
size  of  a  pygmy. 

It  is  small  wonder  that  at  first  some  of  those  that  had  been 
selected  for  the  undertaking  felt  themselves  quite  unable  to 

66 


THE    COLUMBIAN  EXPOSITION 


cope  with  it;  but,  when  once  Mr.  Millet  had  really  gained  his 
cause  and  the  first  start  was  made,  there  was  no  turning  back, 
however  much  inward  quaking  there  may  have  been. 

It  was  an  interesting  assembly  that  gathered  in  Jackson 
Park  that  summer.  The  painters,  sculptors,  and  their  assistants 
made  a  large  number,  all  told ;  and  they  were  almost  all 
acquainted  before  this  meeting;  while  many  of  them  had 
studied  together  in  Paris,  and  were  intimate  friends.  More- 
over, since  they  were  obliged  to  reside  there  for  several  months, 
those  that  were  married  were  accompanied  by  their  wives;  and 
these  ladies  were  a  delightful  addition  to  the  community. 
Most  of  the  artists  lived  near  the  grounds,  so  that  they  could 
go  to  and  fro  without  any  great  expenditure  of  strength  ;  and 
often,  when  the  labour  of  the  day  was  over,  a  distinguished 
company  of  men  and  women  would  gather  for  conversation 
and  music. 

A  favourite  place  of  recreation  was  a  small  restaurant  in 
the  grounds,  where  the  decorators  of  the  White  City  would 
gather  of  an  evening;  and  after  dinner,  over  their  pipes,  talk 
would  run  high  over  the  mural  painting  and  its  history,  and 
there  would  be  an  exchange  of  opinions  and  theories  sufficient 
to  make  a  thick  book  on  aesthetics,  besides  hints  for  common 
advantage  about  the  application  of  pigments  to  the  plaster 
surfaces  with  which  they  were  struggling.  Sometimes  impro- 
vised theatricals  or  tableaux  would  be  the  entertainment, 
though  more  often  the  most  interesting  art  talk,  the  most 
brilliant  joking,  would  be  silenced  while  one  of  the  assistants, 
a  sweet-voiced  young  Irishman,  was  persuaded  to  sing  his  na- 
tive Irish  ballads,  of  which  his  audience  never  tired.  Then, 
when  they  went  home,  what  a  change  from  the  dim,  smoky 

67 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


room,  on  moonlight  nights,  when  the  buildings  were  lighted 
into  a  weird  fantasy  of  ghostly  beauty  !  While  the  launch  car- 
ried them  homeward  over  the  white  waste  of  water,  backward 
glances  would  be  cast  at  the  vanishing  picture  that  seemed  in- 
deed like  a  city  of  dreams. 

But  this  is  a  description  of  the  "beer  and  skittles "  side, 
which  was  very  unimportant  beside  the  day's  work  that  meant 
about  as  many  long  hours  of  confined  labour  as  could  be 
gained  out  of  the  twenty-four.  With  the  glamour  of  moon- 
light gone,  the  place  showed  the  wild  confusion  of  construction 
that  was  going  on.  It  was  a  vast  work-yard  that  swarmed  with 
labourers.  Scaffoldings  and  derricks  stood  up  in  every  direc- 
tion. Large  iron  arches  would  be  suddenly  swung  into  place 
as  one  passed  a  spot,  and  pillars  as  tall  as  houses  would  be  set 
up  like  ninepins  by  the  workmen.  The  light  weight  of  the 
"staff," — a  composition  invented  in  France  and  first  used  at 
the  Paris  Exposition  of  1878, —  of  which  all  the  buildings  and 
sculptured  ornament  were  made,  allowed  the  most  seemingly 
impossible  celerity  of  accomplishment.  Staff  can  be  moulded 
into  any  form  roughly  or  delicately,  and,  when  fresh,  can  be 
altered  or  sawed  apart ;  and  the  workmen  would  be  seen  taking 
most  remarkable  liberties  with  the  great  white  blocks  that 
glistened  like  marble,  or  carrying  about  heads  and  fragments 
of  colossal  statues,  grotesquely  unpleasant  in  such  pieces,  that 
would  be  quickly  hoisted  into  position  and  fitted  together. 
Indeed,  the  whole  place  teemed  with  rapid  mechanical  action, 
in  which  man,  the  creating  spirit,  alone  seemed  unimportant. 
The  progress  toward  the  ultimate  end  was,  fortunately,  not  con- 
fined to  the  tasks  of  the  builders  and  workmen ;  for,  after  the 
first  flurry  and  excitement  was  over,  the  artists  had  settled 

68 


THE    COLUMBIAN  EXPOSITION 


down  to  hours  of  steady  application,  and  were  pressing  forward 
with  the  same  stirring  spirit  that  animated  the  whole  construc- 
tion. Although,  as  has  been  said,  the  decorations  in  the  domes 
of  the  Manufactures  and  Liberal  Arts  Building  were  painted 
directly  on  the  plaster,  Messrs.  Reinhart,  Weir,  Cox,  Shirlaw, 
Simmons,  Blashfield,  Beckwith,  and  Reid,  to  whom  the  work 
had  been  apportioned,  had  also  studios  where  their  preliminary 
studies  and  working  cartoons  could  be  made,  this  being  possi- 
ble by  partitioning  off  great  spaces  in  the  galleries  of  the 
Horticultural  Building,  with  stagings  erected  so  that  models 
might  be  posed  in  the  positions  required  for  the  circular  com- 
positions. Each  artist  was  also  provided  with  a  small  plaster 
model  of  the  dome,  so  that  experiments  could  be  tried  with  the 
intended  pictures  on  a  reduced  scale.  W  e  have  already  spoken 
of  the  difficulties  of  size  that  had  to  be  surmounted  ;  but  no 
sooner  were  the  cartoons  under  way  than  this  was  found  to  be 
but  the  first  of  a  series  of  strange  new  factors  that  must  be 
taken  into  consideration. 

That  mural  painting  is  governed  by  other  principles  than 
those  of  an  enlarged  easel  picture  is  admitted  by  any  painter 
that  knows  anything  about  the  subject ;  and,  in  the  entire  range 
of  architectural  objects,  none  puts  this  fact  to  more  effectual 
proof  than  the  dome,  since  its  curved  surfaces  which  are  seen 
from  below  present  difficulties  of  perspective  and  foreshorten- 
ing that  are  all  its  own,  and  which  have  to  be  met  by  the 
scientific  side  of  the  artist  craft,  so  that  the  proportions  and 
actions  of  the  figures  will  present  a  natural  appearance  from 
the  angles  of  sight.  There  is  also  a  certain  carefulness  to  be 
observed  about  the  colour,  since,  if  it  is  in  too  light  a  key,  it 
may  seem  weak  and  ineffective,  and,  if  it  is  too  dark,  will  look 

69 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


like  a  black  hole  in  the  roof.  These  pitfalls  were  realised, 
theoretically  at  any  rate,  by  these  ambitious  artists,  for  most  of 
them  had  studied  in  Paris  and  were  familiar  with  Paul  Baudry's 
triumphs  of  foreshortening  in  the  ceiling  of  the  foyer  at  the 
Opera  House,  and  had  also  imbibed  M.  Puvis  de  Chavannes's 
ideas  of  flat  colour  and  breadth  of  the  general  effect ;  and,  with 
these  principles  for  guidance,  though  the  practical  application 
might  be  difficult,  there  was  hope  of  final  results. 

How  experimental  was  the  whole  scheme  was  shown  by  the 
diverse  and  original  beginning,  which  all  turned  out  right,  how- 
ever, in  the  end.  Mr.  Blashfield  out  of  his  wider  experience, 
though  much  dome-painting  had  not  come  even  his  way  hereto- 
fore, made  an  elaborate  sketch  in  colour  on  an  eight-sided  can- 
vas which  could  be  used  as  a  working  model,  and  be  turned 
so  that  each  little  figure  was  brought  under  the  great  one  on  the 
roof ;  Mr.  Beckwith  repeated  this  idea  on  his  small  plaster 
dome ;  Mr.  Simmons  made  a  quantity  of  bold  sketches  in  oil ; 
Mr.  Cox  posed  his  models  with  care,  and  made  detailed  studies 
of  them  and  of  arrangements  of  drapery ;  while  Messrs.  Weir, 
Reinhart,  Shirlaw,  and  Reid  made  great  cartoons  that  covered 
the  walls  of  their  ateliers.  Indeed,  so  anxious  was  Mr.  Reid  to 
grapple  as  soon  as  possible  with  the  difficulties  of  proportion 
that  he  carried  out  the  idea  of  making  a  gigantic  cartoon  the 
size  of  the  figures  in  place;  and,  when  this  was  completed,  it 
was  nailed  up  in  his  dome,  where  it  attracted  the  attention  of 
his  fellow-workers,  who  gathered  in  a  body  beneath  it,  and 
gained  all  they  could  from  so  practical  an  object-lesson. 

It  must  be  recalled  that  the  domes  were  situated  in  pairs 
over  the  entrances  ;  and,  while  there  was  no  distinct  plan  of  sub- 
jects between  the  artists  whose  work  was  to  be  seen  side  by 

70 


THE    COLUMBIAN  EXPOSITION 

side,  yet  in  every  case  the  scale  of  figures  and  general  manage- 
ment were  adapted  to  each  other's  desires,  with  the  intention 


THI  ARMOURER'S  CRAFT.    Bv  EDWIN  11  BLASHFIELD. 

(FKOM  tub  ORIGINAL  pbncii.  sketch.) 

that  the  paintings  should  create  an  agreeable  impression 
together. 

Mr.  Blashfield's  decoration  at  the  west  portal  was  a  great 
favourite  with  the  public.  He  solved  the  problem  of  filling  the 
great  space  with  a  few  figures  by  making  the  centre  of  the 
dome  a  large  circle  of  sky  with  a  few  birds  flying  across  it;  and 
against  this,  as  though  they  had  flown  in  from  the  blue  above, 

71 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


were  seated  in  the  pentatives  four  winged  genii  representing 
The  Arts  of  Metal-working,  their  great  white  pinions  almost 
touching  each  other.  The  Armourer  s  Craft  was  represented 
by  a  stalwart  figure  arrayed  with  helmet,  sword,  and  shield ; 
The  Brass-founder  and  The  Iron-worker,  by  two  half-clad 
youths,  one  holding  an  embossed  platter,  the  other  a  black- 
smith's hammer;  The  Art  of  the  Goldsmith,  a  subject  that 
admitted  of  more  delicacy,  was  a  fair  young  maiden  clad  in  a 
clinging  mediaeval  dress  of  snowy  white,  which  with  the  great 
wings  made  a  lovely  effect.  She  held  in  her  hand  a  small 
gilded  figure,  and  her  attitude  was  exceedingly  graceful.  The 
colour  throughout,  while  delicate  in  the  extreme,  was  by  no 
means  cold,  the  great  masses  of  white  being  relieved  by  peacock 
blues,  greens,  and  purples  ;  and  the  space  was  satisfactorily  filled 
without  being  crowded,  making  an  impression  that  was  most 
decorative  and  pleasingly  aesthetic. 

Companion  to  this  was  Mr.  Reinhart's  painting,  which 
comprised  Embroidery  working  at  her  frame,  Design  with  a 
drawing-board  on  her  lap  and  a  pencil  raised  for  inspiration, 
Decoration  adorning  a  large  jar,  and  Sculpture  with  a  finished 
statuette  beside  her.  In  desiring  to  make  these  figures  as 
appropriate  as  possible  to  the  building  and  the  arches  around, 
Mr.  Reinhart  drew  them  seated  upon  a  white  marble  terrace 
with  a  railing  which  repeated  that  upon  the  building  itself. 
At  intervals  along  the  top  of  this  balustrade  were  placed  vases 
filled  with  cactus  and  flowering  plants  silhouetting  against  a 
deep  blue  sky  touched  with  salmon-pink. 

At  the  north  portal  Mr.  Beckwith  departed  from  any  classi- 
cal or  conventional  idea  with  spirited  types  of  modern  inven- 
tions.   A  stalwart  young  factory  girl  in  working  apron  and 

72 


From  Scribm  r's  Magazine,  by  [X  rinissioii  of  Chvlei  Scrihncr's  Sons. 

TIIK  TELEPHONE    F.v  J.  CARROLL  BECK  WITH. 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


blouse  with  sleeves  rolled  up,  and  smooth  hair,  seated  on  a 
magnet  with  a  revolving  wheel  at  her  feet,  personified  The 
Dynamo ;  a  kneeling  figure,  with  floating  hair,  holding  up  the 
familiar  globe  of  our  street  lamps,  The  Arc  Light;  another 
seated  figure  at  a  table  reading  a  book,  with  the  operating  ma- 
chine beside  her,  The  Morse  Telegraph ;  while  in  the  fourth 
The  Indicator  and  The  Telephone  were  shown  under  the  guise 
of  a  robust  woman  who  stood  holding  a  telephone  to  her  ear, 
while  the  tape  issuing  from  a  ticker  behind  her  made  a  fanciful 
ribbon-like  decoration  around  her  body.  From  this  quartette, 
faint  lines  of  wire  led  up  to  the  centre,  where  they  were  held 
by  a  winged  boy,  The  Spirit  of  Electricity,  who  pointed  to  a 
blaze  of  radiating  lightning  from  which  the  power  was  drawn. 

In  the  next  dome,  Mr.  Shirlaw,  in  setting  forth  The  Abun- 
dance of  Land  and  Sea,  covered  his  entire  space  with  a  great 
spider  web,  with  Silver  and  Gold  poised  in  the  pentatives  on 
great  nuggets  of  precious  metal.  They  were  clad  appropri- 
ately in  yellow  and  in  silver  grey,  while  in  the  opposite  corners 
Pearl  standing  on  an  oyster  shell  was  adorned  with  glistening 
strings  of  pearls,  and  Coral  was  decking  her  hair  with  a  red 
ornament. 

Over  the  east  portal  Mr.  Simmons,  seeking  a  change  from 
so  much  symbolism  under  feminine  forms,  confined  his  decora- 
tion to  the  male  sex.  The  centre  was  occupied  by  four  shields 
bound  together  with  flowing  ribbons,  and  blazoned  Stone,  Iron, 
Hemp,  and  Wood.  The  youths  who  with  their  proper  tools 
and  accessories  typified  these  products  of  nature  were  decid- 
edly classical  in  their  semi-nudity,  and  their  rugged  outlines 
and  feeling  of  strength  gave  an  impression  of  boldness  and 
originality. 

74 


From  Scribtitr's  Magazine,  by  permission  t>f  ClurK  s  Scribner's  Sons. 

PEARL.    By  WALTER  SHIRLAW. 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


Kenyon  Cox,  working  in  harmony  with  Mr.  Simmons,  dec- 
orated the  pentatives  each  with  a  female  figure  standing 
against  a  balustrade  that  crossed  from  one  arch  of  the  building 
to  another,  while  above  their  heads  broad  banderoles  bearing 
the  names  of  the  subjects  made  a  curving  frame  that  met  the 
architecture  on  either  side.  Metal  Work  was  typified  by  a 
robust  girl,  in  buff  jacket  and  heavy  gown,  testing  a  sword ; 
Building,  clad  in  golden-green  classical  robes,  held  a  car- 
penter's square,  and  stood  against  an  unfinished  wall ;  Ce- 
ramics >  with  a  heavily  patterned  robe  of  blue  and  white,  was 
decorating  a  vase ;  and  Spinning,  with  rose-coloured  garments, 
gracefully  held  up  a  spindle. 

Mr.  Weir  at  the  south  entrance  broke  his  circle  by  placing 
between  the  figures  in  the  pentatives,  at  the  keystones  of  the 
arches,  cupids  holding  tablets  inscribed  Pottery,  Painting, 
Decoration,  and  Gold  Work.  Mr.  Weir's  aim  was  for  largeness 
and  simplicity,  and  his  use  of  flying  draperies  conveyed  a  feel- 
ing of  breadth  and  accentuated  the  size  of  the  figures.  The 
general  scheme  of  colour  was  pale  blue,  radiating  into  green 
and  purple,  the  impressionist's  palette  that  produces  wonderful 
effects  of  atmosphere  and  sunshine. 

Mr.  Reid,  his  colleague,  continued  the  idea  of  breaking  the 
outline  of  the  arches  by  placing  cupids  bearing  great  palm 
branches  and  tall  incense  burners  on  the  keystones,  and  also 
enlarged  his  figures  by  floating  draperies.  Already  in  this 
first  effort  there  was  something  of  the  stir  of  life  and  pictur- 
esqueness  that  has  been  carried  through  his  more  mature  work. 
One  recalls  the  charm  of  the  white-robed,  slim  maiden,  Orna- 
ment, seated  in  one  of  the  pentatives,  resting  one  arm  on  a 
pedestal,  while  she  held  a  piece  of  carved  stone  on  her  knee; 

76 


CERAMIC  PAINTING.   By  KENYON  COX. 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


and  Design,  a  very  decorative  figure  in  purple.  These  were 
balanced  by  Metal  and  Textiles. 

Besides  the  opportunities  offered  by  the  domes  over  the 
entrances  there  was  at  each  corner  of  the  building  a  pavilion 
which  contained  two  tympanums  forty  feet  long.  The  pavil- 
ions toward  the  south  were  given  to  Gari  Melchers  and  Walter 
McEwen;  and  as  the  place  admitted  of  a  painting  on  canvas 
that  could,  when  completed,  be  stretched  on  the  wall,  these 
artists,  more  fortunate  than  their  brethren  in  the  domes, — who 
were  obliged  to  take  daily  aerial  flights  up  scaffoldings  and 
ladders,  and  who  developed  chronic  cases  of  crick-in-the-neck 
from  painting  upward — were  allotted  the  galleries  of  the 
Arts  Building  to  set  up  their  great  canvases  in.  Mr.  McEwen 
chose  the  subjects  Music  and  Life.  A  rich  border  enclosed 
the  arched  spaces ;  and  in  Music  the  Muse  Euterpe  was  placed 
at  the  feet  of  a  statue  of  Pallas  Athene,  making  a  central  group 
with  a  young  mother  and  a  tiny  child  who  banged  joyfully  on 
a  tambourine.  Piping  satyrs  occupied  one  corner  near  a 
laurel  bush  ;  and  a  procession  with  trumpets  and  musical  in- 
struments filled  the  rest  of  the  composition,  the  silhouettes 
telling  against  the  golden  reflection  of  an  evening  sky.  In 
Life  the  arts  that  support  existence  were  shown  in  a  bevy  of 
maidens  with  distaffs,  shepherds  shearing  a  sheep,  and  men 
working  at  the  loom. 

Mr.  Melchers,  in  portraying  The  Arts  of  Peace,  continued 
the  idea  of  the  inspiring  statue  of  a  goddess  surrounded  by 
symbolical  figures.  He  will  be  more  distinctly  remembered  by 
his  Arts  of  War,  a  picturesque  procession  of  warriors  return- 
ing from  a  hunt,  carrying  a  deer.  An  aged  chief  on  a  great 
horse  pointed  the  way;  while  his  followers,  blowing  horns  and 

73 


From  Scril'turs  Magazine,  by  permission  of  Charles  Scribner's  Sons.  Engraved  by  J.  \V.  Evans. 

THE  TEXTILE  ARTS.   By  ROBERT  REID. 


AMERICAN     MURAL  PAINTING 


waving  their  staves,  seemed  as  excited  by  the  chase  as  the 
dogs  that,  straining  in  the  leash,  required  all  the  strength  of 
their  muscular  keeper  to  hold  them  in  check. 

Mr.  Millet's  Penelope  at  the  Loom  and  The  Return  of 
Ulysses  and  Lawrence  Earle's  Glass  Blowers  and  Pottery  were 
in  the  north  pavilions. 

When  the  Manufactures  and  Liberal  Arts  Building  was 
opened  to  the  public,  there  was  no  stint  to  the  approbation, 
no  words  too  enthusiastic  to  express  what  was  felt  to  be  due 
the  artists.  They  had  transformed  the  temporary  lodging 
for  exhibits  into  a  richly  adorned  palace,  and  brought  a  new 
idea  of  art  into  the  minds  of  millions  of  persons  that  passed 
through  the  great  entrances  that  summer,  and  stopped  to  gaze 
at  the  skyward  pictures. 

It  is  a  real  pleasure  to  call  to  mind  the  glory  of  colour,  the 
beauty  of  thought,  the  grace  of  fair  womanhood,  and  the  force 
of  manly  strength  that  the  artists  drew  in  such  a  rich  pageant 
for  the  brief  delight  of  their  countrymen.  The  buildings  have 
vanished,  the  great  winged  genii  and  the  rest  of  the  gay  com- 
pany of  symbolical  figures  have  crumbled  into  dust  with  the 
domes  that  they  adorned ;  but  their  influence,  more  endur- 
ing than  their  outlines,  tells  still  as  a  vital  force  in  the  art 
of  the  nation.  In  the  few  years  that  have  intervened  since 
the  Fair  the  artists  that  won  such  honour  in  their  first  en- 
gagement have  been  given  opportunities  for  lasting  wrork, 
that  has  shown  the  power  of  more  finished  achievement.  But 
memory  loves  to  linger  upon  this  first  effort,  because  it  was 
the  brave  response  of  inexperienced  men  to  the  demands  made 
upon  them  ;  and  it  appeals  to  our  patriotism  and  pride  that  in 
his  case,  as  when  other  draughts  upon  the  untried  strength 

80 


THE    COLUMBIAN  EXPOSITION 


of  the  country  have  been  necessary,  there  has  been  no  doubt 
of  the  sincerity  of  the  answer:  "  We  are  untrained  and  unfitted, 
we  are  weak  and  the  undertaking  is  great;  but  we  are  ready." 


Si 


V.     THE   COLUMBIAN  EX- 
POSITION. Conclusion 


Thus  far  interior  decoration  alone  has  been  considered ; 
but  the  architects  saw  in  the  great  expanses  of  the  white 
outer  walls  an  opportunity  for  using  colour  both  in  plain  fresco 
and  design,  and  this  led  to  some  very  interesting  exterior  work 
as  well.  The  employment  of  gay  tints  about  the  Court  of 
Honour  was  most  effective.  Across  the  second  story  of  the 
Administration  Building  the  recessed  wall  of  the  loggia  was 
painted  red.  The  projecting  roof  threw  this  somewhat  into 
shadow;  but  the  structure  was  so  enormous  that  even  from  a 
long  distance  the  warm  tone  showed  between  the  rows  of 
columns,  making  a  base  for  the  gleaming  whiteness  which  rose 
finally  to  the  crowning  glory  of  the  gilded  dome.  And  other 
frescos,  either  plain  or  picked  out  with  gold  patterns  or  in- 
scriptions on  the  surrounding  edifices,  gave  a  picturesqueness 
and  gayety  to  the  scene  about  the  lagoon  that  made  the  visitor 
feel  as  if  he  had  been  transported  into  some  colour-loving 
southern  land.  The  finest  occasion  for  finished  artistic  work 
was  given  to  George  W.  Maynard,  whose  panels  and  friezes  in 
the  pavilion  and  porticos  of  the  Agricultural  Building  added 
the  final  distinction  to  the  general  effect.  In  the  great  front 
portico  he  placed  on  either  side  of  the  doorway  graceful  figures 
typifying  Abundance  and  Fertility.  Above  was  a  frieze  of 
Greek  ornament,  embossed  with  the  names  of  Greek  and 
Roman  writers  on  Agriculture ;  and  on  the  side  walls  were 
large  paintings  showing  Cybele,  the  mother  of  all  the  gods, 

82 


THE    COLUMBIAN  EXPOSITION 


seated  in  a  chariot  drawn  by  lions,  and  King  Triptolemus, 
sent  forth  in  Demeter's  car  with  its  team  of  winged  dragons,  to 
instruct  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  in  agricultural  knowledge. 
The  elimination  of  unnecessary  detail,  which  is  characteristic 
of  Mr.  Maynard  s  style,  the  flat-toned  backgrounds,  the  golden 
chariots,  the  dragons,  the  lions,  and  the  pleasing  classic  figures 
made  a  most  decorative  effect.  The  fine  borders,  lettering, 
et-cetera,  which  added  to  the  charm,  were  the  labour  of  Her- 
man T.  Schladermundt,  Mr.  Maynard's  assistant. 

In  the  two  pavilions  at  the  ends  of  the  building  there  were 
panels  on  either  side  of  the  doorway  and  friezes  above  them. 
For  one  pair  of  these  the  artist  painted  Spring,  a  tripping  girl 
with  her  apron  full  of  seed,  which  she  was  spreading  with 
liberal  hand,  and  Summer,  with  a  sheaf  of  grain  under  her  arm 
and  an  antique  pitchfork  over  her  shoulder.  Their  floating 
figures  and  lovely  heads  were  sharply  outlined  against  red 
backgrounds,  framed  in  borders  of  Indian  corn  with  garlands 
of  fruit  above.  Across  the  top  of  the  doorway  was  the  cele- 
brated frieze  of  animals,  which  was  the  object  of  much  popular 
admiration.  Many  a  farmer  passing  in  or  out  was  attracted  by 
the  rendering  of  fine  animals,  and  would  stop  to  examine  the 
horses  and  oxen,  and  scornfully  compare  the  rudimentary  ways 
of  cultivating  the  soil  in  Roman  times  with  the  scientific 
methods  and  machinery  at  his  own  command. 

According  to  the  architect's  first  plan,  which  was  sent  to 
Mr.  Maynard,  a  large  ornament  rising  high  in  the  centre  was 
to  surmount  the  door;  and,  owing  to  this,  the  artist  placed  a 
pair  of  rampant  animals  in  each  frieze,  which  would  show 
above  this  architectural  feature.  The  ornament,  however,  was 
never  put  in  place,  though  the  decision  was  not  made  until  the 

83 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


paintings  were  so  far  advanced  that  they  could  not  be  changed. 
So  that,  owing  to  the  mistake,  the  rearing  pairs  of  horses  and 
bulls  rose  in  their  places.  The  frieze  divided  by  this  central 
feature  was  devoted  to  scenes  of  country  life.  Above  Spring 
great  oxen  were  drawing  an  ancient  Roman  plough  and  a  cart. 
Above  Summer  a  band  of  youths  mounted  on  horses  were 
drawing  a  chariot.  The  other  pavilion  repeated  the  same 
general  plan  with  panels  of  Autumn  and  Winter,  and  in  the 
frieze  some  men  working  with  oxen  on  one  side  of  the  pair  of 
rampant  animals  and  a  boy  and  girl  leading  a  cow  and  bull  on 
the  other.  Whether  examined  close  at  hand  or  seen  in 
glimpses  from  afar,  these  paintings  made  a  charming  impression, 
and  were  accounted  one  of  the  most  interesting  features  of  the 
decorations. 

In  the  foregoing  chapter  mention  was  made  of  the  vast  size 
of  the  domes  in  the  Manufactures  and  Liberal  Arts  Building, 
but  the  colossal  dome  in  the  Administration  Building  dwarfed 
the  proportions  of  the  former  into  insignificance ;  for  it  was 
two  hundred  and  sixty-five  feet  high,  and  lighted  by  a  great  eye 
forty  feet  in  diameter,  around  which  a  surface  of  thirty-five  by 
one  hundred  feet  was  covered  with  a  decoration.  William 
De  L.  Dodge,  during  the  progress  of  this  great  undertaking, 
led  a  most  confined  existence,  being  obliged  to  climb  up  some 
three  hundred  feet  of  ladders  and  scaffoldings  every  morning, 
and  sometimes  not  descending  to  earth  again  until  past  mid- 
night, as  the  work  could  be  continued  by  electric  light  after 
darkness  fell.  His  whole  composition  was  called  The  Glorifi- 
cation of  the  Arts  and  Sciences,  and  showed  Apollo,  crowned 
with  laurel,  seated  on  a  marble  throne,  and  groups  of  people 
symbolising  the  arts  and  sciences, —  the  votaries  of  sculpture 

84 


T H E    C  O LUMBIAN  EXPOSITION 

carrying  a  statue  of  the  Venus  of  Milo,  those  of  architecture 
accompanying  a  model  of  the  Parthenon  drawn  by  winged 


From  .Si  ribm  r's  Magazine ,  by  permission  of  Charles  Scribner's  Sons. 


A I 'IT  M  X.    UvOEiiKCK  W.  M  AY  SARD. 


horses,  and  others  with  equally  appropriate  emblems  advancing 
toward  him  with  gifts  and  trophies.  A  great  deal  of  action 
and  spirit  was  displayed  in  the  drawing  of  the  large  number 
of  figures  which  had  to  be  introduced  to  fill  the  space;  and 
this  allowed  for  troops  of  Roman  soldiers,  horsemen,  rows  of 

*5 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


judges,  men  with  musical  instruments  and  flowers,  and  a  crowd 
of  spectators. 

The  architects  of  the  New  York  State  Buildins:  revived  in 
their  Italian  Renaissance  design  the  taste  and  wealth  of  the 


From  Scribner's  Magazine,  by  permission  of  Charles  Scribner's  Sons. 

RIDERS  OF  WINGED  HORSES  (Detail).    By  W.  De  L.  DODGE. 


Florentine  Republic,  and  were  fortunately  able  to  finish  the 
interior  with  as  little  regard  for  economy  as  though  they  had 
been  filling  an  order  for  an  elaborate  civic  or  private  edifice. 
Interest  centred  about  the  banqueting  hall,  which  was  deco- 
rated, under  Mr.  Millet's  supervision,  in  cream  white  and  gold, 
interspersed  with  harmonious  tints  where  the  variation  was 

86 


THE    COLUMBIAN  EXPOSITION 


appropriate  to  the  architecture.  The  ceiling,  painted  by  Mr. 
Millet,  represented  an  allegory  of  the  Empire  State.  Upon  a 
golden  throne  amongst  the  clouds,  Juno  was  seated,  holding 
a  staff-like  sceptre  and  a  palm  branch,  significant  of  peace. 
Beside  her  was  a  peacock,  and  before  her  cupids  strewed  roses ; 
and  a  procession  came  to  pay  her  homage,  while  Music  sounded 
upon  her  lyre. 

The  idea  of  a  Woman's  Building,  designed  and  beautified 
entirely  by  women's  hands,  a  treasure-house  for  the  exhibition 


PRIMITIVE  WOMAN  (Detail).    I!-,  MARY  M  ACM  ON  N  I KS. 


of  their  achievement  in  every  branch  of  employment  from  lace- 
work  to  machinery  and  inventions,  will  probably  appear  as 
quaint  and  curious  to  our  descendants  as  the  Courts  of  Love 
and  the  Tournaments  of  Wit  held  in  the  Middle  Ages  to  us. 
Whatever  went  to  the  completion  of  the  other  buildings, — 
architecture,  sculpture,  painting, —  here  was  the  woman's  mas- 
tery of  the  same  task.  In  the  vestibule  the  ceiling  and  side 
walls  were  covered  with  mural  paintings;  and  in  the  large  hall- 
way there  were  two  large  tympanums,  by  Mrs.  Mary  MacMonnies 
and  Miss  Mary  Cassatt,  and  four  panels,  by  Mrs.  Amanda  Brew- 
ster Sewall,  Mrs.  Lucia  Fairchild  Fuller,  Mrs.  Rosina  Emmet 
Sherwood,  and  Miss  Lydia  P^ield  Emmet.    Mrs.  MacMonnies's 

87 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


panel,  Primitive  Womcm,  was  divided  into  three  scenes.  At 
the  right,  primitive  man  —  a  hunter  clad  in  skins  —  was  sur- 
rounded by  wives  and  hand-maidens  who  ministered  to  his 
comfort,  and  carried  away  the  deer  he  had  brought  home.  In 
the  centre  was  a  picturesque  procession  of  stalwart  women 
bearing  water-jars,  making  fine  silhouettes  against  the  evening 
sky.  In  the  foreground  mothers  were  bathing  their  young 
children.  On  the  left,  against  a  background  of  trees,  water, 
and  distant  shore,  the  sturdy  daughters  of  the  soil  were  plough- 
ing with  oxen,  while  a  band  of  sowers  scattered  the  grain  into 
the  new  furrows. 

Miss  Mary  Cassatt  also  separated  her  space  into  three 
parts,  enclosing  them  with  a  beautiful  framework  of  conven- 
tional design  and  medallions.  The  subject  Modem  Woman 
was  carried  out  with  the  individual  force  and  distinguished 
methods,  by  which  she  dignifies  the  simplest  theme.  One  panel 
showed  a  group  of  girls  in  an  orchard,  another  a  girl  dancing, 
the  third  a  band  of  maidens  running  in  happy  fashion. 
Familiarity  only  with  the  artist's  style  can  fill  this  meagre 
outline  to  anything  approaching  the  true  interest  of  the 
compositions. 

In  the  panel  spaces  Mrs.  Sewall  painted  The  Women  of 
Arcadia,  Mrs.  Sherwood  The  Republic's  Welco7ne  to  her 
Daughters,  Miss  Emmet  Art,  Science,  and  Literature,  and 
Mrs.  Fuller  The  Women  of  Plymouth.  The  ceiling  of  the 
library  was  the  work  of  Mrs.  Dora  Wheeler  Keith. 

When  writing  this  account  of  what  was  at  best  but  an 
experiment,  carried  out  in  an  entirely  inadequate  time  by 
artists  who  in  the  main  took  up  their  brushes  in  some  fear,  lest 
failure  should  effect  their  good  repute,  the  desire  has  been  to 

88 


THE    COLUMBIAN  EXPOSITION 

slight  no  honest,  intelligent  effort.  Already,  so  quickly  are 
photographs,  illustrations,  and  drawings  destroyed,  and  writings 
of  the  period  passed  out  of  print,  that  the  difficulties  attending 
any  correct  statements  and  adequate  descriptions  of  the  work 
has  been  almost  as  great  as  though  Chicago  was  in  Central 


K.|.t...|ii. .  .1.  I.\  |*rmiuloiit  frutn  Hn>|>rr't  M«c*zinr.— I.  up}  right,  189;i,  by  llnr|*r  &  Bfllirr*. 

DETAIL  I  ROM   I'.OKDF.K  <»F  TVM  I'ANl'M.    I!v  MARY  CASS  ATT. 


Africa,  and  the  affair  one  of  remote  antiquity.  All  the  more 
reason,  therefore,  for  the  critic  to  glean  such  fragments  of  truth 
as  are  still  matters  of  personal  knowledge;  for  with  another 
generation  the  details  will  be  so  obscure  that,  although  there 
mi<dit  be  a  revival  of  interest  about  the  matter,  it  would  be 
quite  impossible  to  collect  the  data  necessary  for  an  authentic 
account  of  what  has  already,  in  less  than  ten  years,  become  a 
matter  of  hearsay. 

91 


AMERICAN     MURAL  PAINTING 


The  aim  has  been  to  preserve  this  fleeting  knowledge;  and, 
although  the  paintings  were  naturally  not  all  upon  one  plane 
of  interest  or  excellence,  yet  the  most  stilted  and  lifeless  per- 
formance gains  a  dignity  from  its  position  in  an  historical  point 
in  American  art,  and  was  remarkably  well  done  in  having  been 
done  at  all.  Later  errors  and  ignorances,  making  inexcusable 
blots  upon  our  permanent  buildings,  may  raise  a  just  indigna- 
tion ;  but  a  veil  of  generosity  may  be  drawn  over  defects  and 
failures  of  this  endeavour,  because  it  was  the  forerunner  of  such 
very  good  things. 


92 


VI.  THE  BOSTON  PUBLIC 
LIBRARY:  PUVIS  DE  CHA- 
VANNES-ABBEY 


It  requires  some  mental  effort  to  realise  that  our  develop- 
ment has  been  so  rapid  that  only  seventeen  years  have  passed 
between  the  dismal  strivings  and  failures  of  the  Albany  Capi- 
tol and  the  completion  of  such  a  perfect  building  as  the  Public 
Library  in  Boston.  A  critic  might  have  worked  out  the  change 
in  thirty  or  forty  years,  but  this  is  purely  the  work  of  Aladdin's 
lamp.  The  Capitol  was  at  best  but  a  piece  of  patchwork  that 
could  be  regarded  with  satisfaction  only  as  the  first  step  toward 
better  things;  and,  when  the  unsoundness  of  the  structure  be- 
came apparent,  there  was  little  comfort  in  the  minds  of  those 
that  had  been  connected  with  it  in  any  way.  The  Library  is  an 
architectural  triumph,  perfect,  complete,  a  model  of  elegance  and 
of  that  unpretentiousness  which  is  the  essence  of  the  finest 
taste.  Moreover,  although,  when  the  Library  was  first  built,  the 
public  may  have  been  unable  to  appreciate  just  how  fine  a 
monument  the  architects  had  given  them,  familiarity  has 
brought  a  better  understanding  and  complete  satisfaction.  It 
is  now  regarded  as  a  civic  crown  ;  and  scores  of  persons  visit 
it  every  day,  to  gain  an  idea  of  the  picturesqueness  of  foreign 
buildings  from  the  interior  court-yard  with  its  fine  colonnade, 
and  benches,  and  green  turf,  and  to  guess  at  the  magnificence 
of  palaces  as  they  pass  through  the  splendid  halls  and  rooms, 
adorned  with  the  richest  marble,  woodwork,  sculpture,  and 
mural  paintings.    Such  an  edifice  in  a  great  city  is  a  distinct 

93 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


educational  factor,  and  is  of  incalculable  benefit  in  raising  the 
public  standards.  From  the  time  the  fine  doorways  are  passed 
the  aesthetic  senses  are  filled  with  delight  by  the  exquisite  pro- 
portions, the  grandeur  of  lines,  and  the  fine  details  of  the  En- 
trance Hall,  where  heavy  piers  support  the  mosaic  ceiling ;  and 
through  the  great  arch  at  the  end  of  the  central  aisle  rises  the 
broad  flight  of  the  steps  of  the  Grand  Stairway  where  M.  Puvis 
de  Chavannes's  decorations  occupy  a  superb  position.  The 
walls  surrounding  the  stairs  are  sheathed  in  variegated  Sienna 
marble,  so  carefully  selected  that  at  the  arch  it  is  almost  pure 
yellow  dotted  with  different  tints,  but  becomes  more  deeply 
veined  with  black  as  the  stairs  are  ascended,  until,  after  the 
landing  where  the  flight  divides,  the  black  becomes  more  pre- 
dominant until  the  colours  are  very  evenly  balanced,  in  the 
slender  pillars  and  balustrade  which  enclose  the  Staircase  Cor- 
ridor at  the  top. 

It  is  on  the  landing  that  the  best  view  can  be  obtained  of 
M.  Puvis's  eight  panels  set  in  the  yellow  marble  casing  on  a 
line  with  the  windows ;  and,  looking  upward,  the  large  painting 
on  the  corridor  wall,  The  Genius  of  Enlightenment,  can  be  seen 
through  the  arches. 

Before  going  into  a  detailed  account  of  the  series,  it  would 
be  well,  since  the  reader  may  not  have  had  the  advantage  or 
possibly  may  have  neglected  seeing  the  decorations  by  this 
artist,  which  France  ranks  amongst  her  masterpieces,  to  throw 
a  little  light  on  the  extraordinary  genius  which  has  given  M. 
Puvis  the  distinction  of  being  considered  the  greatest  modern 
decorator. 

Kenyon   Cox,  in   his    essay  Puvis   de  Chavannes*  has 

*  Modern  French  Masters.    Edited  by  John  C.  Van  Dyke. 

94 


THE    BOSTON    PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


made  so  careful  an  analysis  of  the  causes  of  this  superiority 
that,  having  read  the  paper,  his  clear  reasoning  remains  so 
vividly  in  mind  that,  rather  than  write  an  echo  of  the  author's 
words,  it  seems  best  to  quote  them  directly:  "...  He  is  yet 
one  of  the  leaders  of  the  young  school  of  to-day,"  says  Mr.  Cox, 
"one  of  the  most  living  and  vital  influences  of  contemporary 
art,  one  of  the  most  discussed  and  criticised  of  artists.  His  art 
is  certainly  of  a  sort  to  be  1  caviare  to  the  general.'  It  has  been 
said  to  be  the  negation  of  everything  that  has  always  been 
counted  art,  and  to  be  based  on  the  omission  of  drawing,  model- 
ling, light  and  shade,  and  even  of  color.  On  the  other  hand, 
his  admirers  think  him  a  master  of  drawing  in  his  own  style, 
and  certainly  a  master  of  color.  To  explain  these  seeming 
contradictions;  to  show  the  reasons  of  the  omissions  in  his 
work,  which  do  not  arise  from  ignorance,  but  are  distinctly 
wilful ;  to  exhibit  his  qualities,  and  give  a  reason  for  the  hearty 
admiration  that  many  of  us  feel  for  him, —  this  is  the  difficult 
task  before  me." 

"  To  begin  with,  one  must  remember  that  Puvis  is  above  all 
things  a  decorator.  .  .  .  Go  to  the  Pantheon  and  look  at  the 
mural  pictures  executed  there  by  many  of  the  foremost  of 
French  painters,  and  I  think  that  you  will  feel  that  there  is  just 
one  of  them  that  looks  like  a  true  decoration,  exactly  fitted  for 
the  place  it  occupies  and  the  architecture  that  surrounds  it ; 
and  that  one  is  Puvis  de  Chavannes's  .  .  .  Puvis's  drawing,  with 
all  its  omissions,  is  austere  and  noble ;  and  his  pale  tints,  which 
have  been  called  the  denial  of  color,  look  here  like  the  only 
true  color,  absolutely  in  harmony,  a  part  of  the  building  itself, 
the  delicate  efflorescence,  as  it  were,  of  the  grey  walls.  .  .  . 
Discarding  our  modern  realism,  Puvis  has  gone  back  as  far 

97 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


as  Raphael.  Was  it  necessary  to  go  further?  Simplicity  is 
good  ;  but  does  it  entail  so  much  sacrifice  ?  Perhaps  not ;  for 
there  is  more  than  one  way  of  attaining  decorative  effect, 
and  Veronese  and  Raphael  were  great  decorators  as  well  as 
Giotto.  .  .  .  Giotto  and  Fra  Angelico  have  also  had  their  in- 
fluence on  Puvis ;  and  he  has  felt,  as  have  so  many  others,  the 
wonderful  effect  of  their  rigidly  simple  works.  .  .  .  The  system 
is  capable  of  abuse,  as  imitators  of  Puvis  have  shown  us ;  and 
one  must  be  very  sincere  and  very  earnest  not  to  make  it  an 
empty  parody.  It  is  not  enough  to  leave  out  the  unessential : 
one  must  have  something  essential  to  say.  Puvis,  at  his  best, 
is  absolutely  grand  and  absolutely  sincere  ;  and,  while  he  sacri- 
fices, it  is  for  the  sake  of  expressing  a  lofty  and  pure  sentiment 
in  a  chastened  but  all  the  more  effective  style.  .  .  . 

"  A  classicist  of  the  classicists,  a  primitive  of  the  primitives, 
a  modern  of  the  moderns, —  Puvis  de  Chavannes  is,  above  all, 
an  individual  and  original  artist ;  and  to  copy  his  methods 
would  be  to  learn  ill  the  lesson  he  teaches.  His  style  is 
indissolubly  bound  up  with  his  message :  his  manner  is  the 
only  one  fit  to  express  what  he  alone  has  to  say.  It  would  be 
but  an  ill-fitting,  second-hand  garment  for  another.  But  let  us 
learn  from  him  that  imitation  is  not  art,  that  the  whole  is 
greater  than  the  parts,  and  that  art  in  service  is  the  freest  art 
and  the  noblest." 

This  splendid  criticism  must  find  an  echo  in  the  thoughts 
of  this  master's  admirers,  and  should  not  fail  to  modify  and  in- 
struct the  judgment  of  those  that  have  found  it  difficult  to 
understand  the  reasons  for  his  great  reputation.  When  the 
order  from  America  reached  M.  Puvis,  he  was  over  seventy 
years  old ;  and  this  was  the  first  time  that  he  had  been  called 

98 


THE    BOSTON    PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


upon  for  paintings  to  go  outside  of  his  native  land.  The  trip 
across  the  Atlantic  was  impossible  in  his  state  of  health,  so  that, 
instead  of  following  his  usual  method  of  studying  with  the  great- 
est care  the  architectural  problems  of  the  case,  he  was  obliged 
to  make  shift  with  photographs  and  measurements,  pieces  of 
the  marble  sheathing  which  would  frame  the  panels,  and  a  re- 
duced plan  of  the  staircase. 

Patches  of  colour  imitating  the  yellow  and  black  marble 
were  painted  at  the  bottom  of  the  panels, —  a  device  commonly 
employed  by  decorators  for  keeping  the  whole  colour  scheme 
in  view;  and  wooden  frames  were  made  similar  to  the  spaces 
that  were  to  be  occupied,  so  that  the  canvases  could  be  placed 
in  them  from  time  to  time,  and  thus  be  kept  in  relation  with 
their  future  surroundings. 

In  the  midst  of  the  admiration  which  the  result  calls  forth, 
the  thought  which  found  its  way  into  the  writers  opinion  some 
years  ago,  when  visiting  Paris  and  the  provincial  towns  where 
M.  Puvis's  celebrated  decorations  are  to  be  found,  will  return 
to  mind, —  that  the  finest  period  of  his  development  came  a 
little  before  the  time  of  the  Boston  series. 

In  the  Hotel  de  Ville  at  Amiens,  where  the  paintings  are 
dated  over  a  period  of  nineteen  years,  his  gradual  eliminations 
for  the  sake  of  decorative  effect  and  the  formation  of  his  mature 
style  can  be  traced  from  the  early  War  and  Peace  (1S61)  up 
to  the  triumph  of  thtLudus  pro  P atria  (1880),  which  belongs 
to  the  glorious  company  of  the  series  of  St.  Genevieve  in  the 
Pantheon,  the  hemicycle  in  the  Sorbonne,  and  The  Sacred 
Wood  Dear  to  the  Hearts  of  the  Muses  at  Lyons.  But  what 
more  natural,  indeed,  than  that  this  power  of  expression  should 
wane  in  the  last  years  of  the  artist's  life,  when  he  was  a  very 

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AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


old  man,  so  that  his  methods  seem  strained,  and  the  sacrifices 
that  he  has  made  become  evident,  because  the  gain  falls  just 


From  Copley  Prints.    Copyright,  1896,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 


PHYSICS  AND  CHEMISTRY.    By  PUVIS  de  CHAVANNES. 

short  of  being  great  enough  to  cover  them?  Yet,  even  although 
the  golden  hour  was  passed  when  M.  Puvis  painted  the  Li- 
brary series,  he  was  still  the  greatest  modern  decorator ;  and 
the  work  bears  the  impress  of  belonging  to  a  very  high  place 
in  the  temple  of  art. 

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On  the  staircase,  under  the  general  titles  of  Science  and 
Letters,  Physics,  Chemistry,  History,  Astronomy,  Philosophy, 


From  Copley  Prints.    Copyright.  iS<)fi,  by  Curtis  it  Cameron. 
HISTORY  and  ASTRONOMY     \\\   I'l'VIS  »i    (  H.WANNKS 


Pastoral,  Dramatic,  and  Epic  Poetry,  are  represented,  the 
former  subject  beginning  with  Physics  and  Chemistry  on  either 
side  of  the  windows.  In  Physics,  M.  Puvis  portrayed  the  tele- 
graph in  compliment  to  the  country  where  the  use  of  electricity 


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AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


has  been  so  wonderfully  developed.  The  familiar  pole  and 
wires  appear  in  the  lower  corner  of  the  canvas,  which  is  divided 


From  Copley  Prints.    Copyright,  1896,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 


PHILOSOPHY  and  PASTORAL  POETRY.    By  PUVIS  de  CHAVANNES. 

into  two  nearly  equal  parts,  the  upper  one  showing  a  fair  sea 
and  pleasant  sky,  across  which  is  flying  a  fair-haired,  white- 
robed  maiden  typifying  Good  News:  and  the  lower,  a  precipi- 
tous mountain  and  rocky  gorge,  where  floats  the  grey  figure  of 


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111  Tidings,  with  her  face  concealed  in  her  hand.  The  colours 
throughout  the  eight  panels  are  faint  and  grey,  making  a  pale 


From  Copley  Prints.    Copyright,  !>*/>,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 
DRAMATIC  POETRY  and  1.PIC  POETRY.    By  PlYIS  ue  CHAVANNES 

harmony  with  the  rich  yellow  marble;  yet  the  character  of  each 
subject  is  so  finely  considered,  the  variation  of  tints  is  so  well 
planned,  that  there  is  no  monotony  in  the  whole  effect. 

The  presiding  deity  of  Chemistry  stands  in  a  niche  fash- 

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ioned  out  of  a  cliff  that  rises  high  above  her  head.  Before  her 
is  a  crucible,  and  winged  boys  share  the  interest  with  which  she 
watches  an  experiment. 

History  is  a  remarkably  fine  conception.  She  stands,  a  ma- 
jestic, classical  figure,  in  the  midst  of  a  ruined  place,  where 
bushes  have  grown  between  the  stones  of  what  was  once  a 
masterpiece  of  man's  building.  Her  hand  is  raised  to  evoke 
the  spirit  of  the  past,  but  there  is  no  answer  from  the  desola- 
tion. Yet  is  this  sad  and  stately  Muse  not  entirely  forsaken  :  a 
nude  youth  holding  the  book  and  torch  of  Science  stands  be- 
side her.  The  lofty  type  of  the  female  figure  is  profoundly  im- 
pressive, and  the  hillside  crowned  by  tall  cypresses  calls  to 
mind  what  a  magnificent  landscape  M.  Puvis  can  paint  when  he 
thinks  it  best  for  his  purpose ;  for  who  that  has  seen  them  can 
forget  the  great  landscape  decorations  in  the  Hotel  de  Ville  at 
Paris,  or  the  view  of  Rouen  and  the  islands  of  the  Seine,  which 
forms  the  background  of  Inter  Artes  et  Naturam,  in  the  Mu- 
seum at  Rouen,  painted  with  an  art  that  alone  would  have 
made  him  famous  ? 

Astronomy  is  typified  by  the  Chaldean  shepherds.  Two 
nearly  nude  men  are  gazing  at  the  heavens,  and  a  woman  is 
looking  out  of  a  small,  wattled  hut  near  by.  The  primitive 
treatment  of  the  theme,  like  that  of  the  Poor  Fisherman  in  the 
Luxembourg,  is  saved  from  being  ridiculous  only  by  the  artist's 
wonderful  genius.  No  one  else  could  have  painted  it  with 
dignity.  As  it  is,  it  takes  a  place  in  the  whole  decorative 
scheme,  much  as  one  piece  of  mosaic  fitted  against  another 
may  need  to  be  dull  and  unnoticeable  to  complete  the  pattern 
properly. 

Here  the  divisions  of  Science  are  brought  to  an  end,  and  the 

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four  remaining  panels  are  devoted  to  Letters.  Philosophy 
shows  an  Athenian  garden,  where  Plato  talks  with  one  of  his 
disciples  in  the  foreground,  standing  on  a  broad  marble  walk, 
which  outlines  a  plot  of  grass  and  flowers.  Behind,  under  a 
white  portico  and  colonnade,  other  men  are  reading  and  con- 
versing. Afar  off  above  a  wood  rises  a  vision  of  the  Parthenon 
on  the  Acropolis.  The  arrangement  of  the  masses  of  white 
architecture,  the  view  of  the  Parthenon  standing  in  ideal 
majesty,  the  relieving  greenery,  and  the  group  of  the  philoso- 
pher and  his  pupil,  to  which  the  interesting  surroundings  are 
quite  subordinate,  compose  a  scene  in  which  the  very  spirit  of 
classicism  seems  to  dwell. 

In  the  first  of  the  three  panels  devoted  to  poetry  the  solitary 
figure  of  Virgil  stands  leaning  against  a  slender  young  tree, 
which  with  its  companions  delicately  leafing  out  at  the  top 
make  a  light  screen  across  the  sky.  The  place  is  one  of 
idyllic  loveliness.  The  blue  waters  of  the  ocean  have  cut  into 
the  level  shore,  making  shallow  inlets  that  reflect  the  rocks  and 
trees.  In  the  extreme  foreground  are  two  primitive  beehives. 
An  atmosphere  of  peace,  to  be  found  only  far  from  the  thickly 
settled  abodes  of  men,  rests  upon  the  placid  summer  air. 

Beside  it  Dramatic  Poetry  seems  stronger  and  more 
positive,  though  this  is  from  the  masterly  treatment  of  the 
grander  subject;  and  there  is  really  very  little  difference  in  the 
tone  and  colour.  In  the  midst  of  the  sea  that  fills  all  the 
central  space  stands  the  jagged  rock  upon  which  Prome- 
theus, enduring  horrible  torture,  is  bound.  The  consuming 
vulture  soars  above  him  ;  and,  moved  by  the  victim's  distress, 
the  fair  white  Oceanides  are  rising  from  the  waves,  and  float  in 
the  air  about  him,  chanting  soothing  melodies.    On  a  cliff  in 

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the  foreground  ^schylus  is  writing  his  immortal  tragedy. 
The  composition  displays  the  artist's  finest  powers ;  for  in  it  he 
has  rendered  one  of  the  most  horrible  tragedies  ever  conceived 
by  the  imagination,  yet  without  condescending  to  brutal  or 
realistic  methods,  but  with  a  restraint  that  is  entirely  in  accord- 
ance with  the  canons  of  the  highest  art. 

The  last  of  the  series  is  now  reached  in  Epic  Poetry,  where 
blind  Homer  sits  by  the  wayside,  and  two  female  figures,  The 
Iliad  and  The  Odyssey,  stand  beside  him  with  laurel  wreaths  in 
their  hands.  Though  quite  acceptable  among  its  companions,  it 
does  not  particularly  engage  the  attention. 

The  construction  of  the  Staircase  Corridor  enabled  the  artist 
to  have  a  choice  of  design ;  for  the  long  wall  presented  a  sur- 
face broken  exactly  in  the  middle  by  a  door,  and  the  supports 
of  the  vaulting,  which  are  placed  a  little  higher  than  the  top  of 
this  entrance,  divide  the  upper  part  of  the  space  into  five 
arches,  so  that  five  separate  panels  could  be  used,  or  a  single 
decoration  cover  the  whole.  M.  Puvis  chose  the  latter,  carry- 
ing a  sweep  of  sky  across  the  arches ;  and,  by  placing  beside 
the  fine,  severely-designed  doorway  seated  figures  of  Study  and 
Contemplation,  he  dignified  it  into  a  pedestal  for  the  Genius  of 
Enlightenment,  a  winged  boy  who  stands  upon  a  cloud,  holding 
blazing  lights  in  his  hands.  Just  below  the  arches  is  an  ex- 
panse of  sea ;  and  there  are  fine  lines  in  the  hillside  which  fills 
the  foreground, —  lines  that  dip  and  bend  and  are  as  individual 
as  the  lines  of  a  portrait.  The  place  is  a  most  pleasant  one, 
full  of  young,  thickly-leaved  trees,  of  small  bushes,  and  irregular 
green  growth, —  fit  playground  for  the  Muses  who  rise  (four  on 
one  side,  five  on  the  other)  like  a  flight  of  white  butterflies. 
The  perfect  balance  of  the  groups,  their  simplicity  and  the 

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harmony  of  the  separate  figures  with  one  another,  is  suggestive 
of  some  exquisite  piece  of  music,  simple  enough  for  any  musi- 
cian to  read  at  sight,  but  which  taxes  the  powers  of  the  finest 


From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1896,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 
DETAIL  from  THE  MUSKS. 

players  to  interpret  in  all  its  subtle  beauty.  The  whole  paint- 
ing is  so  absolutely  decorative  that  it  might  well  have  grown 
upon  the  wall,  and  from  its  pure  fidelity  to  standards  which 
have  no  touch  of  cleverness  or  of  aught  superficial  or  common 
leaves  a  conviction  that,  however  unlike  these  creations  of  the 

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modern  French  artists  are  to  the  grand  Muses  of  Hellas,  yet 
they  are  really  the  same.  They,  too,  carry  the  air  from  Olym- 
pus. They  have  come  from  that  high  world  which,  were  all 
minds  great  enough,  all  hearts  and  eyes  true  and  pure  enough, 
the  whole  world  might  see,  but  that  the  majority  can  surmise 
only  through  the  translated  visions  of  poets  and  artists.  The 
corridor  is  connected  with  the  large  rooms  at  the  sides  by  small 
square  passages,  called  the  Venetian  and  Pompeian  Lobbies. 
The  first,  decorated  by  J.  Lindon  Smith,  is  suggestive  of  Vene- 
tian art  and  influence ;  and  the  rather  elaborate  plan  has  been 
carried  out  with  much  attention  to  picturesque  details  of  gild- 
ing, lettering,  Byzantine  plaques,  mediaeval  galleys,  et-cetera. 
Over  the  door  two  boys  are  holding  formal  garlands  of  fruit 
and  flowers,  and  there  is  a  painting  of  The  Wedding  of  Venice 
to  the  Adriatic  above  the  window.  In  the  Children's  Refer- 
ence Room  beyond  there  is  a  new  ceiling  showing  The  Tri- 
umph of  Time,  by  John  Elliott. 

The  Pompeian  Lobby  owes  its  name  to  Elmer  E.  Garnsey's 
charming  Pompeian  designs.  The  walls  are  covered  with 
panels  of  red  bordered  with  arabesques,  and  bands  of  slate 
colour  sprinkled  with  bunches  of  hyacinths.  The  domed 
ceiling  is  blue,  and  adorned  with  classic  medallions.  Sea- 
horses and  masks  are  other  appropriate  ornaments,  and  the 
interest  centres  upon  a  small  panel  showing  Bacchus  pouring 
wine  from  a  horn  into  a  cup. 

This  passage  leads  into  the  Delivery  Room,  which  is 
adorned  by  Mr.  Abbey's  frieze  of  The  Quest  of  the  Holy  Grail, 
the  third  of  the  celebrated  achievements  which,  with  those  of 
M.  Puvis  de  Chavannes  and  Mr.  Sargent,  give  the  Library 
decoration  its  prestige.    Mr.  Abbey's  work  is  on  very  different 


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artistic  lines  than  those  of  the  others  of  the  trio;  for  the  deco- 
rative canons  and  limitations  which  M.  Puvis  observes  to  the 


Copyright,  i.joo,  by  John  Klliott.  From  I  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1901,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 


DETAIL  from  THE  TRIUMPH  Of  TIME,   Br  JOHN  ELLIOTT. 

point  of  straining,  and  Mr.  Sargent  uses  so  easily  that  their 
existence  is  not  even  suggested,  do  not  enter  very  largely 
into  Mr.  Abbey's  plans.  The  frieze  is  perhaps  best  described 
as  being  a  series  of  most  admirable  pictures,  painted  in  a  real- 
istic way ;  and,  though  not  even  the  backgrounds  take  their 

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AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


place  in  a  decorative  sense,  yet  in  itself  it  is  so  successful  —  for 
the  beauty  and  charm  is  as  undeniable  as  the  interest  it  excites, 
that  having  expressed  what  any  knowledge  of  art  must  teach 
(that  it  is  essentially  pictorial,  not  decorative)  —  there  is  no 
necessity  for  harping  upon  the  strain,  and  the  attention  can 
be  turned  to  admiring  and  appreciating  what  the  artist  has 
given  in  the  way  he  thought  best  to  give  it.  It  would  be 
absurd  to  expect  an  equality  of  decorative  feeling  in  the  work 
of  every  artist ;  and  any  traveller  knows  that  the  pictorial  mural 
painting  flourishes  to-day  in  countries  with  the  finest  traditions 
—  hundreds  of  years  old  —  to  guide  in  the  opposite  direction. 
And  even  in  the  very  heart  of  Paris,  in  the  much-vaunted 
Pantheon  itself,  there  is  more  than  one  example  of  the  realistic. 

The  scheme  of  colour  in  the  Delivery  Room  is  dark  and 
sumptuous.  The  raftered  ceiling  is  of  stained  oak  ;  the  doorways 
and  mantels  of  a  remarkable  blood-red  marble,  combined  with 
variegated  red  and  green ;  and  the  walls  are  wainscoted  with 
oak  up  to  within  about  eight  feet  of  the  ceiling,  the  remaining 
space  being  filled  by  the  frieze.  And  in  this  rich  handsome 
setting  Mr.  Abbey's  use  of  varied  colours,  multiplied  lights  and 
shades,  dazzling  and  glittering  costumes,  kingly  trappings,  and 
the  cluttered  picturesqueness  of  hosts  of  mediaeval  personages, 
makes  an  effect  not  unlike  that  of  Sir  Henry  Irving's  carefully 
arranged  tableaux  in  an  historical  play.  The  spectator  feels  that 
he  is  looking  at  the  scenes  of  a  very  living  drama,  only  that 
here  the  curtain  will  not  fall  to  shut  out  the  illusion.  Mr. 
Abbey  conferred  a  benefit  upon  the  public,  that  likes  a  change 
from  mythology  and  abstractions,  by  his  choice  of  subject. 
The  Quest  of  the  Holy  Grail  is  known  to  every  school-child, 
and  Tennyson's  verse  which  forms  the  introduction  does  not 

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fail  to  interest  in  later  years.  The  hero  of  this,  the  greatest 
Christian  legend,  is  the  type  of  noble-minded,  fearless  man- 
hood ;  and  though  the  scholar,  tracing  out  the  various  forms  in 
which  his  history  is  figured  in  different  countries,  may  doubt 


Copyright,  iStyj,  by  K.  A.  Abbey.  From  |  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1897,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 

THE  VISION.    Hv  KDWIN  A  AHHKV. 

that  he  ever  existed,  to  the  world  at  large  he  is  an  unquestioned 
part  of  the  court  of  King  Arthur  and  Britain's  early  history. 

Out  of  the  various  stories  of  Parsifal,  Percival,  or  Galahad, 
Mr.  Abbey  made  a  selection  of  incidents  that  would  give  a 
coherent  account  of  his  life  and  search,  beginning  with  his 
infancy.  At  the  time  of  this  writing  the  series  is  still  incom- 
plete, only  five  paintings  being  in  place. 

This  first  scene  is  in  the  convent  where  Sir  Galahad  was 

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AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


reared.  One  of  the  nuns  kneeling  upon  the  floor  is  holding  up 
the  babe  in  swaddling-clothes,  to  whom  an  angel  bearing  the 
Grail  has  appeared.  The  great  angel,  with  large  blue-white 
wings  and  floating  draperies,  fills  nearly  half  of  the  canvas. 
The  gracefulness  of  her  figure  and  her  delicate  head  recalls 


Copyright,  1895,  by  E.  A.  Abbey.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1897,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 

THE  OATH  OF  KNIGHTHOOD.    Bv  EDWIN  A.  ABBEY. 


the  charm  of  the  artist's  drawings  of  fair  maidens  for  illustra- 
tions of  old  English  ballads.  The  holy  little  child  puts  out  his 
hands  toward  her  with  the  touching  gesture  of  a  baby  pleased 
by  some  bright  object  which  it  wants  to  clutch.  The  wall 
behind  them  is  covered  with  a  blue  tapestry,  wrought  with  gold 
birds,  lions,  and  stripes  of  conventional  ornament.    This  is  the 

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smallest  of  the  paintings,  which,  owing  to  the  construction  of 
the  room,  vary  in  length  from  six  to  thirty-three  feet. 

In  the  next  division  is  shown  the  interior  of  the  chapel 
where  Sir  Galahad  is  receiving  the  order  of  knighthood.  He 
kneels,  robed  in  deep  red,  upon  the  altar  steps.  Behind  him 
Sir  Launcelot  and  Sir  Bors,  warlike  figures  in  full  armour, 
fasten  his  spurs.  The  nuns  who  have  cherished  the  hero  stand 
watching  the  ceremony,  holding  candles  in  their  hands,  that 
illumine  the  dim  place,  sending  a  yellow  light  over  the  grey 
walls  painted  with  archaic  Celtic  figures. 

The  third  picture  is  at  the  court  of  King  Arthur.  Near 
one  end  of  the  long  composition  is  placed  the  monarch's  curi- 
ously wrought,  canopied  throne.  The  king,  now  a  very  old  man 
with  hoary  beard,  stands  to  welcome  the  young  knight  who  has 
entered  with  uncovered  head  and  simple  travelling-frock  of 
red.  A  strange  being,  shrouded  in  voluminous  white  drapery, 
with  a  hood  pulled  down  over  his  face,  who  in  the  legend  is 
Joseph  of  Arimathea,  guides  the  stranger  to  the  Siege  Peril- 
ous, the  chair  beside  the  king's  throne,  which  none  but  the 
Knight  of  the  Grail  may  occupy  without  being  destroyed. 

The  Round  Table  has  evidently  been  recently  used  for 
some  great  banquet,  and  is  still  covered  with  a  white  cloth. 
Behind  it  and  in  the  spaces  at  the  ends  are  crowds  of  knights, 
women,  monks,  and  jesters, —  the  multitudinous  attendance 
of  a  mediaeval  court,  making  a  medley  of  expressive  faces  and 
varied  actions.  The  knights  hold  up  the  hilts  of  their  swords 
in  awe  at  the  presence  of  supernatural  beings;  for  an  angel, 
drawn  large  as  in  the  first  panel,  hovers  behind  the  front  pillars 
of  the  throne,  drawing  away  the  red  drapery  that  covers  the 
magic  seat,  in  which  Sir  Galahad  may  rest  without  fear.  This 

I]5 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


spiritual  visitor  is  accompanied  by  numbers  of  her  sisters,  who 
are  ranged  side  by  side  in  long  circling  rows,  filling  the  upper 
part  of  the  background ;  and  the  great  mass  of  white  made  by 
their  robes  and  wings,  the  snowy  linen  table  cloth,  and  Joseph 
of  Arimathea's  shroud  which  carries  the  light  note  down  the 


Copyright,  1895,  by  E  A.  Abbey. 

THE  ROUND  TABLE. 


foreground,  makes  the  artist's  choice  of  having  Sir  Galahad 
appear  always  dressed  in  red  an  artistic  as  well  as  a  literary 
defect.  His  presence  would  have  been  more  marked  in  the 
composition,  and  his  connection  with  the  throng  of  angels 
would  have  been  unconsciously  established,  had  his  raiment 
showed  the  same  virgin  hue :  whereas  now  he  is  not  a  striking 
central  figure.    In  the  general  medley  of  colours  the  note  of 

116 


THE    BOSTON    PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


red  does  not  make  him  stand  sufficiently  apart  from  the  general 
crowd. 

The  Holy  Grail  has  life-giving  power,  and  therefore  the 
artist  that  would  clothe  in  red  the  knight  devoted  to  its  ser- 
vice —  red  being  the  colour  of  life  —  would  have  reason  for  the 


From  Copley  Prints.    Copyright,  i!*/>,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron 
I'.v  KDWIN  A.  ABBEY. 


preference;  but  the  Grail  performed  miracles  entirely  through 
a  spiritual  influence.  Only  those  of  spotless  character  could 
realise  its  sacred  presence,  and  Sir  Galahad  could  achieve  the 
quest  only  because  his  soul  was  free  from  sin.  Therefore,  red, 
typifying  earthly  life  and  warm  human  love,  does  not  carry  out 
the  highest  conception  of  the  hero  or  the  object  of  his  devo- 
tion.    It  is  as  the  spiritual  youth,  strong  "because  his  heart  is 

117 


AMERICAN     MURAL  PAINTING 


pure,"  clad  in  white  an  index  of  his  white  soul,  that  he  appears 
to  English  chroniclers  and  poets,  and  dwells  in  the  hearts  of 
their  readers. 

The  next  painting  shows  that  the  quest  has  begun  in  earnest. 
The  banqueting  hall  is  deserted  by  the  knights  sworn  to 
recover  the  Grail,  and  they  have  crowded  to  the  chapel  to  re- 
ceive the  blessing  of  the  Church  upon  their  adventures.  Fully 
two-thirds  of  the  canvas  is  filled  with  kneeling  men  with  their 
heads  about  on  a  level.  They  are  in  armour,  and  their  blazoned 
shields  strapped  to  their  backs  rest  upon  the  floor,  covering 
them  to  the  shoulders.  Each  one  holds  a  tall  spear  with  a  pen- 
non fastened  to  the  end,  which  makes  a  very  forest  of  lances; 
while  a  multitude  of  small,  square,  and  oblong  banners,  orna- 
mented with  quaint  heraldic  devices,  jostle  one  another  in  the 
space  above  their  heads.  The  knights  face  the  chancel,  where 
the  Archbishop  stands,  his  hands  raised  in  benediction. 

The  whole  length  of  one  wall  is  occupied  by  the  fifth  com- 
position, which  shows  Sir  Galahad's  first  adventure  after  he 
has  reached  the  court  of  the  king,  Amfortas,  who  possesses  the 
Holy  Grail,  but  who,  because  he  sinned,  has  been  cast  into 
a  trance,  and  has  lain  spell-bound  for  centuries,  with  his  spell- 
bound court  about  him.  The  frieze  on  this  side  is  broken  in 
the  middle  by  a  heavy  marble  cornice  several  feet  high,  rising 
above  a  doorway ;  and  Mr.  Abbey  has  made  happy  use  of  the 
accident,  building  upon  it  the  canopied  bed  upon  which  the 
old,  wasted  king  lies,  wrapped  in  great  fur  robes.  He  is 
the  very  type  of  withered  age.  Around  his  uncanny  form  every 
detail  speaks  of  ages  past,  before  his  sin  had  brought  the  curse 
down  upon  his  head.  The  chest  that  forms  his  couch  is  carved 
in  curious  ancient  fashion,  his  sceptre  and  ornaments  are 

118 


THE    BOSTON    PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


wrought  in  barbaric  style,  and  the  room,  a  vaulted  hall  with 
many  pillars,  shows,  by  the  construction  of  the  arches  and  the 
carving  of  the  capitals,  that  it  was  the  work  of  early  Celtic 
builders. 

On  the  right  of  Amfortas's  impressive  resting-place  is  the 
procession  of  the  Grail.  A  glory  of  soft  light  streams  from  the 
covered  vase,  which  is  upheld  by  a  most  beautiful  figure  seen 
in  profile,  whose  face  is  radiant  in  the  glow.  Upon  the  head 
of  this  guardian  of  the  sacred  cup  is  a  close-fitting  crown  and 
ornaments  of  gold  and  jewels;  and  long  white  draperies  falling 
from  the  shoulders,  and  trailing  behind,  heighten  the  majestic 
impression.  The  beams  of  light  spread  out  over  those  follow- 
ing: Herodias's  daughter,  holding  above  her  head,  with  slender 
hands  and  arms  too  delicate  for  the  burden,  the  head  of  John 
the  Baptist  in  a  charger;  a  Roman  soldier,  with  winged  brass 
helmet,  and  a  long  white  cape  over  his  armour,  bearing  aloft 
a  seven-branched  golden  candlestick  ;  and  the  long  lines  and 
colours  of  this  martial  figure  are  then  repeated  in  the  cloaks 
and  helmets  of  Longius,  leaning  upon  the  spear  with  which, 
legend  says,  he  wounded  Christ's  side,  and  a  second  Roman 
soldier  bearing  another  golden  candlestick.  The  group  is 
a  very  fine  one,  and  of  an  interesting  picturesqueness  without 
too  great  an  obtrusion  of  detail.  The  colour  is  superb ;  and 
the  leading  figure  stands  like  a  star  of  hope  and  promise  at 
the  head  of  the  others,  whose  sins  compel  them  ever  to  follow 
the  symbol  of  a  power  they  have  despised. 

The  light  from  the  Grail  is  reflected  upon  the  left-hand  side 
of  the  canvas,  illuminating  the  marble  arches  and  the  lethargic 
crowd  of  monks,  ladies,  and  men-at-arms  who  sit  or  stand  be- 
neath them.    Close  at  the  head  of  Amfortas's  bed  stands  Sir 


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THE    BOSTON    PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

Galahad,  wrapped  in  a  voluminous  red  cloak.  This  is  the  only 
place  where  the  artist  has  not  drawn  the  hero  in  profile ;  and 
his  face  shown  in  its  pure  oval  here,  surrounded  by  a  frame  of 
soft  blond  hair,  is  a  most  beautiful  one.  In  his  innocent  eyes 
is  a  look  of  bewilderment.  He  stands  erect,  holding  the  neck  of 
his  cloak  with  one  graceful  hand.  The  procession  of  the  Grail 
will  come  and  go,  not  waiting  for  him  to  collect  his  scattered 
thoughts ;  for  he  has  become  contaminated  by  the  world,  and 
cannot  remember  the  question  that  must  be  asked  to  achieve 
his  errand. 

Any  one  who,  priding  himself  on  his  critical  faculty,  has 
reached  such  a  decree  of  narrowness  that  he  can  take  no  en- 

o 

joyment  in  Mr.  Abbey's  series  because  he  finds  it  lacking  in 
certain  fundamental  decorative  qualities,  like  his  well-read 
brother,  whose  refined  literary  tastes  lead  him  to  condemn 
Dickens  and  Scott  as  pernicious,  seems  entitled  to  the  sym- 
pathy, not  unmixed  with  scorn,  of  the  broader-minded,  more 
sensible  part  of  the  community. 

As  long  as  charm,  grace,  poetic  ideas,  and  a  sympathetic 
presentation  of  lovely  and  noble  images  are  of  interest,  Mr. 
Abbeys  frieze  will  be  regarded  with  enthusiasm,  and  will  com- 
mand admiration  for  many  years  after  the  more  faultless  efforts 
of  less  gifted,  more  mechanical  painters  are  quite  forgotten. 


123 


VII.  TH  E  BOSTON  PUBLIC 
LIBRARY:  JOHN  S.  SARGENT 


At  the  first  view  of  Mr.  Sargent's  decorations  in  the  cor- 
ridor that  bears  his  name,  their  striking  originality  predominates 
over  all  other  impressions :  they  are  conceived  in  a  spirit  of 
grandeur,  which  rises  to  the  exalted  sphere  where  good  and 
evil  fight  for  mastery  in  the  pages  of  Milton's  Paradise  Lost. 
They  are  as  splendid  an  exhibition  of  artistic  power  as  any 
painter  living  could  make  them.  The  colour  is  beautiful  enough 
to  carry  them  into  the  first  rank,  for  that  merit  alone ;  and, 
while  never  transgressing  the  rules  that  govern  the  art  of  mural 
painting,  they  do  not  appear  to  be  limited  by  them  in  any  way. 

Mr.  Sargent  has  gone  as  straight  to  the  result  that  he 
wished  to  obtain  as  Michael  Angelo  did  in  the  Sistine  Chapel ; 
and  the  subject,  The  Triumph  of  Religion,  reflects  the  thought 
of  our  own  time  as  strongly  as  The  Last  Judgment  does  that  of 
the  earlier  period. 

When  the  corridor  is  complete,  it  will  have  a  ceiling, 
lunette,  and  frieze  at  each  end,  and  a  large  composition  on  the 
long  wall  between;  but  as  yet  the  paintings  for  one  end  only 
are  in  place. 

The  series  begins  with  the  ceiling,  where  the  gods  of 
polytheism  and  idolatry  are  represented ;  in  the  lunette  below 
is  the  captivity  of  the  Jews ;  and  the  frieze  shows  the  line  of  the 
Hebrew  prophets.  The  upper  divisions  are  a  most  wonderful 
rendering  of  ancient  Egyptian  and  Assyrian  art.  Mr.  Sargent 
studied  their  peculiar  forms  until  they  became  as  his  own 

1 24 


JOHN    S.  SARGENT 


artistic  properties,  and  he  could  turn  their  historic  characters 
to  his  decorative  purpose  with  absolute  assurance.  He  por- 
trays with  the  skill  of  the  old  native  artists  the  half-bird  and 
half-monster  gods, —  Moloch  with  his  golden  lions;  the  curious 
images  of  the  sacred  Trinity ;  the  Egyptian  king  with  head  in 
profile  and  body  in  full  view,  as  his  subjects  delineated  the 
human  figure;  his  ponderous  brother  of  Assyria  with  his  fero- 
cious lion.  Any  one  of  these  fragments  might  have  been  cut  out 
of  ancient  paintings,  so  absolutely  do  they  convey  the  impres- 
sion familiar  to  us  from  antique  monuments. 

A  very  interesting  use  has  been  made  of  the  custom  of 
drawing  figures  in  different  sizes,  to  accord  with  the  rank  and 
importance  of  the  persons  represented.  The  body  of  the  god- 
dess Neith,  the  universal  mother,  stretches  across  the  entire 
arch  of  the  ceiling:  her  hands  rest  upon  one  cornice  of  the 
frieze,  her  feet  upon  another.  The  stature  of  the  kings  and  gods 
is  colossal.  The  Jews,  being  but  mortals  of  lowly  position,  are 
simply  life-size.  Such  a  wonderful  resurrection  of  the  art  of 
these  long-dead  civilisations,  combined  with  the  brilliancy  of 
modern  handling,  gives  the  effect  of  some  decoration  on  a 
thousand-years-old  temple  wall,  which  has  suddenly  sprung 
free  from  its  technical  limitations,  and  put  on  the  attractions 
of  truthful  drawing,  beautiful  form,  and  the  colouring  of  nat- 
ure. The  background  of  the  ceiling  is  formed  by  the  great 
stretched-out  body  of  the  goddess  Neith.  Her  dark,  oval  face 
shows  clearly.  Her  members  are  obscured,  vaguely  suggesting 
her  corporeal  presence  as  the  shadow  of  some  strange  mystery. 
Close  over  her  inscrutable  brow  is  drawn  a  head-dress  made  of 
the  symbol  of  immortality,  a  sphere  hung  between  spreading 
wings  of  black  and  gold  which  stretch  from  one  side  of  the 

"7 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


canvas  to  the  other.  As  she  was  the  mother  of  all  things, 
above  her  glows  the  full  moon,  which  was  her  offspring.  Her 
outstretched  arms  are  almost  covered  by  the  celebrated  figure 
of  Astarte,  the  witching  moon-goddess,  the  female  productive 
spirit,  as  Moloch  on  the  opposite  bend  of  the  arch  is  the  sun, 
or  male  principle. 

Astarte  stands  upon  a  crescent  moon.  A  cobra  twined  about 
her  feet  forewarns  us  that  her  worship  was  not  like  that  which 
the  Greeks  gave  to  their  chaste  Luna,  but  one  of  sensuality  and 
luxury.  There  are  but  few  figures  suggestive  of  these  evil 
principles,  either  in  art  or  literature,  that  bear  comparison  with 
this  bewildering  image  of  fascination.  She  is  the  sister  of  those 
delicate  sorceresses  whom  Edmund  Spenser  conjured  to  be- 
siege the  honour  of  his  true  knights.  The  artist  has  framed-in 
her  loveliness  with  columns  which  were  copied  from  those  in 
her  temple,  and  a  row  of  raised  and  gilded  pine  cones  on  either 
side  show  that  behind  her  is  the  Tree  of  Life.  To  heighten 
the  charm  of  her  mysterious  allurement,  she  is  wrapped  in  a 
maze  of  diaphanous  blue  veiling  as  intangible  as  faint  smoke- 
wreaths  from  a  censer.  Her  fair  luminous  face  and  the  rich 
gold  ornaments  on  her  robe  shine  through  this  misty  covering. 
Beside  her,  dimly  seen  through  the  same  pale  screen,  are  small 
groups  of  her  priestesses  at  their  rites.  The  victims  of  their 
pleasures,  come  to  their  last  reward,  to  be  torn  by  vultures  and 
chimaeras.  These  minor  scenes  do  not  obtrude :  they  are  part 
of  a  semi-background  ;  and  at  first  only  the  vision  of  the  goddess 
is  seen  through  her  veil  of  glamour  and  seduction,  just  as  she 
appeared  upon  her  own  altar,  to  the  imaginations  of  her  wor- 
shippers. 

The  full  moon  above  Neith's  head  gives  the  effect  of  a  halo 

128 


From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  18961  by  Curtis  ft  Cameron. 

MOLOCH  (Detail).    By  JOHN  S.  SARGENT. 


JOHN    S.  SARGENT 


behind  Astarte's  tall  crown,  and  under  the  earth-mother's  chin 
are  coiled  the  heavy  folds  of  a  serpent  modelled  in  high  relief 
with  silver  scales;  and  thus  throughout  the  composition  one 
figure  or  accessory  overlaps  or  meets  another,  so  that  the  lines 
connect  and  flow  in  and  out  without  break  or  interruption,  and 
one  image  passes  to  the  next  in  easy  sequence.  A  golden 
zodiac,  finely  graven,  hides  Neith's  body;  and  the  hollow  centre 
shows  the  firmament  shining  upon  her  breast.  Struggling  in 
the  serpent's  coils,  and  fighting  with  him  for  the  supremacy  of 
the  seasons,  is  the  archer  Thammuz,  beloved  of  Astarte,  the 
Phoenician  myth  illustrated  being  very  similar  to  that  of  the 
Grecian  one  of  Venus  and  Adonis.  On  one  side  of  the  disk 
Thammuz  flies  his  arrows,  beating  his  enemy  back  from  the 
signs  of  the  warm  months  of  the  year:  on  the  other  he  is 
cruelly  strangled  in  the  silver  coils,  and  is  bewailed  by  Astarte, 
who  will  restore  him  to  life  with  the  returning  spring.  The 
figure  of  the  archer  with  his  muscular  arm  outstretched,  wing- 
ing swift  arrows  from  his  bow,  the  tense  action  of  his  splendidly 
modelled  body,  and  the  sweep  of  his  red  cloak,  is  a  marvellous 
piece  of  painting,  possible  only  from  the  brush  of  an  artist  to 
whom  there  are  no  impassable  technical  boundaries;  and  yet 
the  fragment  is  kept  so  exactly  in  its  place  in  the  whole  deco- 
ration that  in  the  general  effect  the  youth  and  his  beloved  god- 
dess appear  only  as  the  ornaments  of  Neith's  silver  snake 
necklace. 

On  the  lower  rim  of  the  zodiac  flares  the  sun  ;  and  from  it 
radiate  straight  beams  of  light,  each  ending  in  a  small  raised 
gold  hand  holding  a  seed,  the  symbol  of  its  life-producing 
power.  They  spread  out  and  down,  nearly  to  the  edge  of  the 
ceiling,  across  the  tremendous  group  of  the  bull-headed  god 

13 1 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


Moloch,  whose  horns  reach  to  the  sun,  who  is  four-armed,  and 
who  crushes  his  victims  with  his  hands,  while  the  golden  mass 
of  his  lions  group  about  his  knees.  Below  is  the  dark  note  of 
the  quaint  carved  images  of  Isis,  Osiris,  and  Horus,  ranged  side 
by  side,  with  their  gloom  still  brightened  by  the  shower  of 
little  hands.  A  mummy  lies  across  the  feet  of  these  deities; 
and  below  it  the  globe,  with  a  black,  and  a  gold  wing,  symbol 
of  immortality,  completes  the  painting. 

The  group  of  the  Sun-god  is  marvellous ;  and,  indeed,  the 
word  recurs  in  attempting  to  show  an  appreciation  of  the  fig- 
ures which  succeed  each  other  in  this  chain  of  remarkable 
images.  The  colour  throughout  is  very  beautiful,  with  the  gem- 
like brilliancy  of  Eastern  inspiration  which  enraptures  the 
senses,  and  leaves  the  imagination  wondering  that  the  hand  of 
man  can  make  things  of  such  rare  and  living  beauty. 

The  rib  between  the  ceiling  and  the  wall  is  gilded ;  and  the 
following  words,  condensed  from  the  twenty-first  to  the  forty- 
fifth  verses  of  the  one  hundred  and  sixth  Psalm,  are  printed 
upon  it  in  dark  blue  letters,  and  give  the  subject  of  the  lunette 
below :  "  They  forgat  God  their  saviour,  which  had  done  great 
things  in  Egypt.  And  they  served  .  .  .  idols,  which  were  a 
snare  unto  them.  Yea,  they  sacrificed  their  sons  and  their 
daughters  unto  devils,  and  shed  innocent  blood,  even  the  blood 
of  their  sons  and  of  their  daughters,  .  .  .  unto  the  idols  of  Ca- 
naan. .  .  .  Therefore  was  the  wrath  of  the  Lord  kindled  against 
his  people.  .  .  .  And  he  gave  them  into  the  hand  of  the  hea- 
then ;  and  they  that  hated  them  ruled  over  them.  Their  ene- 
mies also  oppressed  them,  and  they  were  brought  into  subjec- 
tion under  their  hand.  Nevertheless,  he  regarded  their  afflic- 
tion when  he  heard  their  cry ;  and  he  remembered  for  them 
his  covenant." 

132 


From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1S95,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 
ASTARTE  (Detail).    By  JOHN  S.  SARGENT* 


JOHN    S.  SARGENT 


Mr.  Sargent,  in  carrying  out  the  idea  of  the  strife  between 
the  Jewish  and  Pagan  faiths,  shows  this  by  the  confusion, — 
though  a  highly  decorative  one, —  such  as  might  be  seen  on  a 
battlefield  :  every  inch  of  the  canvas  is  filled,  figures  cut  across 
each  other,  and  stand  in  each  other's  way.  There  is  a  medley 
of  forms.  The  Sphinx  is  half  concealed  behind  the  gorgeous 
black  and  gold  feather  wrappings  of  the  goddess  Pasht,  with 
straight  armlike  wings  of  immortal  colours;  vultures  and 
ravens  stand  upon  heaps  of  slain ;  the  Jews  trampled  under 
foot,  and  bending  beneath  the  golden  yoke  which  their  con- 
querors press  down  upon  them  ;  the  light  of  fires  in  the  back- 
ground;  and  the  vision  of  cherubim  in  the  sky.  The  spectacle 
has  been  made  one  of  great  majesty,  as  befits  an  occasion  that 
called  down  Jehovah  himself  to  succor  the  Israelites. 

The  first  complexity  of  the  composition  becomes  simple 
enough  when  taken  in  the  three  grand  masses  of:  Pharaoh  and 
the  objects  of  his  worship;  the  kneeling  Jews,  with  the  manifes- 
tation of  their  Creator  behind  his  cherubim;  and  the  Assyrian 
king,  with  his  bird  and  beast  deities.  The  false  gods  are 
grouped  in  the  extreme  sides  of  the  canvas.  Before  them  stand 
their  respective  princely  worshippers,  facing  each  other.  Their 
colossal  figures  tower  above  their  victims;  and  their  raised  hands, 
holding  the  weapons  that  are  ready  to  descend  with  crushing 
force,  nearly  touch  the  top  of  the  arch.  Each  follows  closely 
the  portraits  which  have  kept  their  images  familiar  through  so 
many  ages.  Pharaoh  is  slight,  long-limbed,  slim-waisted.  His 
face  has  the  deep-set  eye,  the  long  eyebrow,  and  the  peculiar 
line  of  profile  which  constituted  the  national  type  of  beauty. 
The  crown  upon  his  head — a  high  helmet-shaped  structure  of 
gold  —  raises  his  proportions  many  inches.    The  uplifted  hand 

'35 


AMERICAN     MURAL  PAINTING 


grasps  a  scourge :  the  other  holds  his  captive  by  the  hair.  The 
Assyrian  king  confronting  him  is  of  huge  proportions,  and  with 
exaggerated  muscular  development.  His  robes  are  of  the  heav- 
iest material,  and  the  masses  of  his  hair  and  beard  add  an  air 
of  ferocity  to  his  brutal  countenance.  With  one  hand  he 
presses  down  the  yoke.  The  other  clutches  a  heavy  weapon, 
which  he  is  about  to  wield  with  terrible  strength. 

Between  these  types  of  cunning  and  ferocity  the  nude 
beauty  of  the  kneeling  Hebrews  presents  a  contrast  suggestive 
of  that  between  their  religion  and  the  unholy  imaginings  of 
foolish  and  brutal  men.  In  the  crouching  group  there  is  a 
most  beautiful  repetition  of  bowed  heads,  bent  limbs,  and  hands 
joined  for  prayer.  Two  youths  in  the  centre  raise  their  faces  to 
heaven,  and  with  upraised  hands  beseech  Jehovah  to  save.  Be- 
hind, the  imploring  hands  of  many  more  such  suppliants  are 
outlined  against  the  bright  flames  of  the  fires  newly  kindled  on 
the  altars  of  the  true  God ;  and,  as  the  light  spreads  out  over 
the  heads  of  the  gigantic  kings,  it  is  cleft  by  the  crimson 
pinions  of  the  cherubim  who  fly  before  the  face  of  the  Al- 
mighty. Their  heads  are  entirely  hidden  behind  their  wings, 
which  have  a  most  remarkable  circling  action,  giving  the  idea 
of  a  power  strong  enough  to  penetrate  through  all  natural  sub- 
stances. 

There  has  been  some  criticism  excited  by  the  use  of  the 
crimson  note  in  a  place  where  there  might  have  been  a  more 
striking  combination  ;  but  to  the  writer  the  tone  used  shows 
the  fine  restraint  of  a  truly  great  artist,  who  did  not  wish  to 
sacrifice  harmony  for  an  effect  which,  however  magnificent, 
would  be  somewhat  sensational.  As  it  is,  a  strictly  decorative 
unity  of  colour  is  maintained. 

136 


JOHN    S.  SARGENT 


In  the  Frieze  of  the  Prophets  the  central  figure  of  Moses, 
modelled  in  relief,  with  golden  wings  wrapped  about  his 
shoulders,  and  the  great  tables  of  the  law  clasped  in  his 
strong  hands,  makes  a  connecting  link  between  the  scenes 
above  and  the  simplicity  of  his  successors.  In  the  painting  of 
these  eighteen  figures,  Mr.  Sargent  is  entirely  the  brilliant 
painter,  whose  manner  is  familiar  through  the  magnificent 
series  of  portraits  which  has  made  him  famous  for  the  past 
twenty  years. 

They  are  each  drawn  with  an  individuality  strikingly  sug- 
gestive of  the  character  in  the  Scriptural  narrative,  and,  with 
their  simple  draperies  thrown  about  them,  stand  with  the 
solemnity  of  a  chorus  in  a  classic  drama.  Joshua  and  Elijah 
are  more  rugged  and  primitive  than  the  others.  Daniel  is 
slender:  his  face  is  delicate  and  fine.  There  is  a  hopeful  look  in 
old  Haggai's  sunken  eyes.  He  raises  one  withered  hand  in  re- 
joicing for  the  Saviour  whose  coming  he  foretells,  upholding 
with  the  other  his  sad  brother  Micah,  who  turns  away  his  head. 
Jeremiah  is  wrapped  in  sad  meditation,  and  Isaiah  throws  a 
radiant  glance  into  the  future.  Zephaniah,  pondering  on 
thoughts  too  mighty  for  his  brain,  forms  a  most  dramatic 
group  with  Joel,  who  stretches  out  his  arms  in  agony,  and  in 
the  majesty  of  his  grief  covers  his  face  with  his  mantle,  and 
Obadiah  clasping  his  hoary  locks,  who  sits  on  the  ground  be- 
fore them.  The  balance  of  this  awful  despair  is  restored  by 
the  calmness  of  the  last  prophet,  young  Hosea.  He  stands  erect, 
wrapped  from  head  to  foot  in  a  soft  white  mantle.  A  brave, 
thoughtful  face  looks  out  from  under  the  shadow  of  the  hood. 
His  message  is  one  of  peace  and  of  hope. 

When  the  commission  for  the  decorations  was  given  to 

'39 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


Mr.  Sargent,  his  reputation  as  a  portrait  painter  was  so 
high  that  the  change  to  another  field  was  rather  dreaded 
by  his  admirers  ;  but  no  sooner  was  the  first  canvas  in  place 
than  he  achieved  an  immediate  triumph,  just  as  he  had  done 
years  before  when  his  first  portraits  were  exhibited  in  the 
Paris  Salon.  In  his  mural  painting  the  qualities  which  had 
made  his  fame  have  but  gathered  breadth  from  the  wider 
scope  of  the  achievement.  He  shows  the  same  unlimited 
faculty  of  producing  extraordinary  effects  with  methods  that 
make  them  seem  the  height  of  unstudied  art,  the  same 
vitality  permeating  every  brush  stroke,  and  the  gift  of  trans- 
porting the  very  life  of  his  subject  to  the  canvas.  The 
power  that  thrills  through  his  portrait  of  Carmencita,  so  that 
she  seems  to  have  sprung  into  life  at  the  sound  of  a  dance 
note,  that  makes  his  Beatrice  —  frankly  confessed  recollection 
of  Velasquez  as  she  is  —  true  sister  of  the  immortal  artist's 
childish  Infants  and  Infantas,  lives  again  in  this  array  of  the 
spiritual  and  earthly  powers  of  the  ancient  world.  Puvis 
de  Chavannes,  once  laying  down  the  exact  laws  with  which 
he  expected  his  work  to  comply,  said,  "  The  composition  must 
be  adapted,  first  of  all,  to  the  place  it  is  to  occupy  when  com- 
pleted, and  to  be  adapted  so  perfectly  that  the  public  cannot 
imagine,  the  main  idea  being  accepted,  another  arrangement 
for  the  ensemble  and  another  grouping  for  the  figures." 
The  words  apply  as  if  especially  written  to  sum  up  the  value 
of  Mr.  Sargent's  work ;  for  it  is,  indeed,  of  the  order  of 
things  that  are  entirely  convincing,  to  be  accepted  as  suffi- 
cient in  every  decorative  sense. 

In  the  part  of  the  design  to  be  finished,  the  subjects  will  be 
confined  to  the  time  when  Christ  preached  on  earth  and  the 

140 


JOHN    S.  SARGENT 


era  that  he  inaugurated, —  very  difficult  themes;  but,  undoubt- 
edly, Mr.  Sargent  will  present  them  in  a  way  that  will  again  set 
the  art  world  wondering. 

Whatever  developments  are  in  store,  it  is  not  to  be  expected 
that,  when  the  series  is  finished,  its  aesthetic  value  will  be  very 
different  from  what  it  is  to-day.  Certain  parts  of  it  may  rise 
above  or  fall  below  the  standard  of  the  pieces  that  are  our  pres- 
ent admiration,  may  appeal  more  strongly  to  personal  or  pop- 
ular taste;  but,  however  varied  in  inspiration,  thought,  or  feel- 
ing,—  and  the  wide  scope  of  the  artist's  powers  can  be  seen  in 
the  different  expression  and  treatment  of  the  ceiling  and  the 
frieze, —  yet  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  creative  intelli- 
gence, working  over  this  goodly  area  as  over  a  portrait  canvas, 
will  keep  the  interest  of  the  parts  subservient  to  the  forcible 
impression  of  the  whole. 

As  the  compositions  have  been  put  in  place,  their  originality 
has  called  forth  a  multitude  of  arguments  and  questions.  How 
did  Mr.  Sargent  come  to  have  such  ideas?  Mow  did  he  have 
the  courage  to  paint  them?  to  be  so  entirely  himself,  and  to 
sweep  away  all  preconceived  theories?  How  did  he  expect  peo- 
ple to  understand,  let  alone  admire,  such  an  extraordinary  de- 
parture from  the  usual?  Would  the  public  consider  him  quite 
mad  ?  How  has  it  happened  that  he  has  been  particularly  well 
understood  ?  that  the  admiration  aroused  has  amounted  to  a 
furor?  The  answer  to  these  queries  is  not  hard  to  find.  Mr. 
Sargent  has  here  shown  himself  to  be  a  truly  great  artist ;  and 
the  decorations  are  of  such  an  order  that  they  absolutely  com 
pel  recognition  and  honour.  It  is  almost  impossible  to  ex- 
plain the  reasons  why  one  work  of  art  precedes  another  in 
order.    The  manifestations  of  aesthetic  power  are  too  subtle  and 

'43 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


indefinable  to  be  reduced  to  the  limits  of  words.  To  distin- 
guish the  fact  requires  a  taste  that  is  not  born  in  every  one,  and 
needs  to  be  refined  by  cultivation.  Still,  it  would  seem  as  if  a 
person  must  be  strangely  lacking  in  discrimination  that  could 
stand  in  this  corridor  and  not  realize  that  the  paintings  are  of 
an  unusual  grandeur.  Very  often  those  that  depart  from  the 
beaten  track,  with  all  their  striving,  do  not  get  beyond  fancy 
and  novelty,  often  not  beyond  sensationalism  and  eccentricity, 
which  cannot  long  hold  any  position;  but  Mr.  Sargent  has 
given  us  the  real  thing.  His  work  is  of  such  extraordinary 
merit  that  there  is  not  a  period  in  the  history  of  the  art,  known 
to  the  writer,  in  which  it  would  not  rank  among  the  best. 

In  the  beginning  of  this  chapter  the  display  of  imagination 
was  compared  with  that  which  animates  Paradise  Lost,  and 
it  is  with  the  sonorous  roll  of  Milton's  lines,  where  one  image 
succeeds  another,  and  all  are  bound  together  by  the  underlying 
thought,  that  these  scenes  of  the  religious  history  of  the  world 
follow  each  other;  and  this,  we  believe,  will  be  the  final  impres- 
sion, when  Mr.  Sargent  has  put  his  name  to  the  last  canvas,  and 
completed  a  piece  of  work  on  which  his  fame  can  rest, —  brill- 
iant modern  brother,  as  he  is,  of  the  muralists  of  old. 


144 


VIII.  THE  INFLUENCE  OF 
ART  ORGANISATIONS  ON 
MURAL  PAINTING 


The  growth  of  the  feeling  that  intelligent  and  expert  judg- 
ment should  be  used  in  the  adornment  of  the  city,  and  its 
parks,  public  buildings,  et-cetera,  led  to  the  organisation  of  the 
Municipal  Art  Society  of  New  York  in  1893.  Tne  motto 
chosen  to  represent  its  aims,  44  To  Make  Us  Love  Our  City, 
We  Must  Make  Our  City  Lovely,"  epitomises  the  intentions  of 
its  founders,  who,  moved  by  the  most  disinterested  motives,  de- 
sired to  set  a  standard  of  excellence,  and  to  raise  the  public 
taste  in  matters  of  art.  Edwin  H.  Blashfield,  who  was  much 
in  sympathy  with  the  society,  wrote  in  its  interests  an  essay 
called  "  A  Plea  for  Municipal  .Art,"  which  called  attention  to 
the  movement  on  foot,  and  challenged  the  sympathies  of  all 
who  considered  themselves  enlightened  citizens.  44  New  York," 
says  Mr.  Blashfield  in  this  stirring  paper,  44  more  enterprising 
than  any  other  city,  rich,  prosperous,  generous,  and  proud,  as 
she  should  be,  of  her  greatness,  is  yet  far  behind  not  only  Paris 
and  London,  but  even  tiny  provincial  towns  of  France,  Italy, 
Germany,  in  the  possession  of  an  art  which  should  dignify  and 
illustrate  the  history  of  her  past  and  present.  .  .  .  The  common- 
wealths of  Athens,  Florence,  Venice,  the  free  burgs  of  Ger- 
many, the  great  trading  towns  of  Flanders,  the  cities  which 
have  passed  through  a  period  of  natural  evolution  in  art,  con- 
sidered it  a  national  glory,  and  used  it  both  as  a  means  and  as 
an  end  in  a  truly  democratic  spirit,       bono  publico. 

MS 


AMERICAN     MURAL  PAINTING 


"  They  believed  that  certain  benefits  arose  from  the  cultiva- 
tion of  beauty,  that  the  pleasures  of  private  life,  the  dignity  of 
public  life,  were  increased  by  the  aid  of  the  arts.  .  .  .  Now  to 
whom  did  the  cities  of  the  past  owe  this  public  decoration  ? 
Was  it  only  to  kings,  and  emperors,  and  grand  dukes,  whom 
we  in  America  have  not?  No.  Athens,  Florence,  Venice, 
Bruges,  Nuremberg,  were  given  their  art  by  the  very  men  whom 
we  have  with  us  to-day, —  the  magistrates,  the  merchants,  the 
artisans.  .  .  . 

"  Art  history  gives  scores  of  instances  of  the  way  in  which 
such  questions  were  treated.  In  studying  them,  we  are  struck 
with  the  intense  earnestness  shown  by  the  ruling  bodies  in  their 
debates  and  decisions  regarding  art  matters ;  they  considered 
them  as  questions  of  state.  .  .  .  And  this  art  was  the  property 
of  all  men;  it  belonged  to  every  citizen  who  had  eyes  to  see; 
it  was  1  of  the  people,  for  the  people,  by  the  people.'  The  his- 
tory of  the  commonwealth  was  not  shut  up  in  libraries :  it  was 
made  living  upon  the  walls,  so  that  the  humblest  and  least  edu- 
cated citizens  knew  its  principal  and  worthiest  events.  Every 
one  is  more  or  less  impressed  through  the  eyes,  especially  so 
are  the  masses.  '  Pictures  are  the  books  of  the  ignorant,'  said 
Saint  Augustine  ;  and  to  appeal  to  their  unlettered  citizens  these 
old  republics  used  them,  knowing  that  few  can  grasp  an  ab- 
stract idea,  but  that  a  visible,  tangible  image  is  easily  under- 
stood." 

The  society  began  in  the  quietest  way,  hoping  that,  as  its 
aims  became  known,  and  as  the  value  of  its  judgment  was 
proved,  a  more  influential  position  in  municipal  affairs  would 
be  gained  gradually.  All  that  it  asked  was  to  be  allowed  to 
present  to  the  city,  from  time  to  time,  gifts  of  paintings  or 
sculpture,  such  as  would  be  worthy  of  her  acceptance.    As  the 

146 


ART  ORGANISATIONS 


funds  to  meet  the  expenses  of  these  costly  presents  had  to  be 
raised  by  subscriptions  among  the  members,  it  was  with  some 
effort  that  a  sum  was  got  together  sufficient  for  the  first  enter- 
prise, which  was  to  provide  the  decorations  in  the  Appellate 
Court  Room  of  the  Criminal  Courts  Buildings,  Centre  Street, 
New  York.  A  competition  was  held,  to  which  a  full  number 
of  artists  responded,  the  award  being  given  to  Edward  Sim- 
mons, whose  sketches  were  carried  out  in  even  a  finer  key,  so 
that  the  impression  of  the  finished  canvases  is  most  dignified 
and  majestic.  The  plan  of  the  room  admitted  three  spaces  for 
paintings,  the  central  one  being  tall  and  narrow  with  an  arched 
top,  and  an  oblong  panel  on  each  side.  The  more  important 
composition  shows  the  steps  and  entrance  to  a  massive  build- 
ing, probably  a  prison,  with  a  heavy  iron  door  studded  with 
great  nails.  Justice  stands  framed  in  the  portal.  Her  handsome 
countenance  is  resolute  and  earnest  without  severity.  In  one 
hand,  stretched  hi<ih  above  her  head,  she  holds  her  scales ;  in 
the  other,  a  crystal  ball  surmounted  by  a  golden  cross.  Over 
her  shoulders  hangs  the  national  flag,  the  white  star>  shining 
on  her  breast,  the  stripes  falling  behind  her  and  trailing  to  her 
feet.  Below  her  Stand  two  boys,  one  holding  a  sword,  the  other 
a  clove.  Overhead,  filling  the  arch,  cherubs  floating  amid  the 
folds  of  a  large  drapery  support  escutcheons  bearing  the  arms 
of  state  and  city. 

In  the  panel  to  the  right  are  The  Fates,  who  sit  upon  a 
bench,  the  thread  of  life  passing  from  hand  to  hand,  Clotho 
holds  a  fair  young  child  in  her  lap.  Her  head  is  thrown  back; 
and  her  whole  attitude,  as  she  twirls  her  distaff,  breathes  the  spirit 
of  youth  and  hope.  But  Lachesis  carries  the  cord  close  to  the 
fatal  shears  with  which  old  Atropos  will  sever  it.    Beside  the 

149 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


wrinkled  dame  lies  a  skull.  The  panel  on  the  left  represents 
Liberty,  Equality,  and  Fraternity,  and  corresponds  in  colour  and 
arrangement  with  The  Fates.  The  figure  of  Liberty  rejoicing 
in  freedom,  after  having  been  chained,  is  especially  worthy  of 
admiration.    The  paintings  were  unveiled  on  November  18, 


Copyright,  1895,  by  Edward  Simmons.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1896,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 


THE  FATES.    By  EDWARD  SIMMONS. 

1895,  with  some  ceremony.  This  has  been  the  only  piece  of 
work  which  the  society  has  accomplished  by  its  unaided  efforts  ; 
for,  the  precedent  having  been  established,  larger  opportunities 
opened.  It  was  aided  by  the  co-operation  of  ten  other  art 
societies  in  erecting  the  handsome  monument  by  Daniel 
Chester  French,  in  memory  of  Richard  M.  Hunt,  which  now 
stands  against  the  wall  of  Central  Park  opposite  the  Lenox 
Library ;  and  since  then  the  scope  of  its  usefulness  has  been  so 

l5° 


ART  ORGANISATIONS 


greatly  extended  that  competitions  for  works  of  art  to  be 
erected  by  public  or  private  enterprise  can  be  held  under  its 
auspices,  the  judgment  of  its  jury  having  come  to  be  regarded  as 
the  best  that  can  be  had  for  guidance  in  such  matters.  It  was 
with  much  pleasure  that  the  well-wishers  of  the  society  learned  a 


Copyright 


S05,  by  Edward  Simmons.  From  a  Copley  Print.  Copyright,  iS</>,  by  Curtis  X  Cimeron. 
LIBERTY,   LOCALITY.  FRATERNITY     B\  KDWARD  SIMMONS. 


few  years  ago  that  the  municipal  authorities  had  awakened  to 
its  great  usefulness  in  the  community,  and  had  made  the  targe 
appropriation  of  ten  thousand  dollars  to  be  spent  under  its 
direction  for  a  ceiling  in  the  Assembly  Room  of  the  City  Hall, 
New  York.  Although  a  change  in  the  government  took  place 
before  the  plan  could  be  carried  out,  and  the  appropriation  was 
rescinded,  yet  the  fact  that  so  important  a  step  has  once  been 
taken  leads  to  the  hopeful  supposition  that  in  the  course  of 

»5» 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


time  there  will  be  a  practical  co-operation  in  all  such  affairs 
of  public  interest. 

Similar  organisations  have  been  started  in  one  or  two  other 
cities,  and  it  is  hoped  that  the  imitation  may  become  so  gen- 
eral that  every  municipality  may  have  this  means  of  fostering 
and  upholding  artistic  standards. 

The  interest  in  our  subject  had  grown  so  rapidly  that  the 
body  of  artists  employed  in  decorative  work  was  sufficiently 
large  by  1895  to  warrant  the  foundation  of  the  National 
Society  of  Mural  Painters,  New  York;  and  this  was  not  only 
intended  for  the  benefit  of  the  members,  but  to  bring  about  a 
better  understanding  of  the  necessities  of  the  art,  both  in  the 
minds  of  decorators,  and  the  architects  and  contractors  that 
should  call  for  their  services ;  and  cause  a  more  complete  and 
beneficial  co-operation  between  them. 

To  this  end  the  constitution  opened  with  the  preamble 
that  "  its  object  shall  be  to  promote  the  delineation  of  the 
human  figure  in  its  relation  to  architecture,  whether  rendered 
in  pigment,  stained  glass,  mosaic,  tapestry,  or  other  appropriate 
medium,  and  at  the  same  time  to  foster  the  development  of  its 
ornamental  concomitants."  This  was  followed  by  the  strictly 
practical  propositions :  — 

1.  To  formulate  a  code  for  decorative  competitions,  and,  as 
experience  may  suggest,  by-laws  to  regulate  professional  prac- 
tice. 

2.  To  hold  exhibitions  of  all  and  only  such  work  as  is  in- 
cluded within  its  legitimate  scope. 

3.  To  establish  an  educational  propaganda  through  the 
agency  of  the  press,  lectures,  existing  schools,  or  in  whatever 
manner  the  opportunity  of  the  moment  may  suggest. 

*S2 


ART   ORGANISA  T  IONS 


4.  To  advocate  the  recognition  of  the  true  position  of  the 
decorative  artist  in  his  relation  to  constructive  work. 

5.  To  urge  a  rational  decoration  of  our  public  buildings, 
and  to  co-operate  with  other  societies  having  in  view  the  beau- 
tifying of  the  country. 

These  resolutions  were  not  confined  to  paper.  Standing 
committees  on  professional  practice,  civic  buildings,  education, 
and  exhibits  were  formed  ;  and,  through  the  agency  of  the  first 
of  these,  a  number  of  articles  regulating  important  business 
questions  have  been  wisely  formulated.  The  work  of  the 
second  committee  concerns  us  still  more  nearly,  as  it  has  had 
most  successful  results;  for  correspondence  was  opened  with 
such  architects  as  were  known  to  be  engaged  upon  public  or 
semi-public  buildings,  and  advice  and  assistance  were  freely 
offered  in  case  anything  of  a  decorative  nature  should  be  con- 
tern  plated.  No  time  or  pains  was  spared  in  impressing  these 
facts,  the  chairman  even  visiting  other  cities  when  called  upon 
by  architects  that  thought  they  might  have  an  opportunity  for 
using  mural  painting.  Nothing  materialised,  however,  until 
James  Brown  Lord,  when  building  the  New  Court  House  of 
the  Appellate  Division  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  city  of 
New  York,  accepted  the  well-meant  overtures ;  and  the  society 
co-operated  with  him  in  the  plan  and  charge  of  the  decora- 
tions. 

A  detailed  account  of  the  matter  will  be  found  in  the 
chapter  devoted  to  the  Appellate  Court  House,  where  the 
brilliant  success  of  the  decorated  rooms  has  been  a  great 
triumph  for  the  principles  and  methods  for  which  the  Society 
of  Mural  Painters  has  been  working. 


'53 


IX.  THE  WALKER  ART 
BUILDING  AND  THE  MEN- 
DELSSOHN   GLEE  CLUB 


The  scale  upon  which  public  buildings  with  lavish  appro- 
priations for  the  purpose  can  be  decorated  is  quite  impossible 
in  most  cases  where  a  private  individual  or  even  a  business 
corporation  is  concerned,  because  of  necessary  limits  of  expen- 
diture; but  in  more  modest  proportions  there  have  been  quite 
a  number  of  mural  paintings  placed  in  residences,  hotels,  banks, 
insurance  offices,  etcetera,  and  a  later  chapter  will  be  devoted 
to  the  mass  of  this  interesting  miscellaneous  work.  The  two 
buildings  the  names  of  which  stand  at  the  head  of  this  page 
are  of  especial  note,  however;  for  the  six  paintings  they  contain 
occupy  as  high  a  place  as  any  others  in  this  country. 

The  Walker  Art  Building  at  Bowdoin  College,  Brunswick, 
Maine,  designed  by  Charles  F.  McKim,  of  McKim,  Mead  & 
White,  is  a  most  elegant  structure,  every  detail  showing  the  dis- 
tinguished taste  for  which  the  architect  is  celebrated.  The 
entrance  is  through  a  recessed  loggia,  decorated  by  Elmer  E. 
Garnsey  with  classical  designs ;  and  beyond  is  the  Sculpture 
Hall  where  beneath  the  dome  are  four  large  tympanums  by 
John  La  Farge,  Abbott  H.  Thayer,  Elihu  Vedder,  and  Ken- 
yon  Cox. 

What  unerring  judgment  was  displayed  in  the  selection  of 
these  artists,  that  the  four  canvases  might  make  an  harmonious 
impression  !  With  the  choice  that  was  made  the  result  was  sure 
to  be  interesting.    As  it  is,  it  is  astonishingly  perfect.  Mr. 

154 


AMERICAN     MURAL  PAINTING 


La  Farge,  Mr.  Thayer,  and  Mr.  Vedder  have  worked  with  most 
unusual  equality;  and  Mr.  Cox  is  an  able  fourth,  with  a  more 
sympathetic  painting  than  usual. 

In  Athens  (upon  the  east  wall)  Mr.  La  Farge  has  personi- 
fied the  city  in  a  female  figure,  with  a  mural  crown  upon  her 
head.  She  is  clad  in  a  cloak  of  deep  red,  and  a  green  drapery 
partly  covers  the  block  on  which  she  is  seated.  She  is  watch- 
ing Minerva,  patron  goddess  of  all  artists,  who  is  making  a 
drawing  on  a  small  tablet  that  she  holds  in  her  hand.  The 
goddess  is  robed  in  flowing  white.  The  theme  of  her  study  is 
nature,  which  is  personified  by  the  presiding  spirit  of  the 
sacred  grove  in  which  they  have  met.  This  spirit  occupies  a 
position  in  the  centre.  She  leans  against  a  terminal  column, 
crowned  with  a  head  of  Pan,  god  of  the  lower  forces  of  nature. 
The  tall,  slender  torch  of  life  that  she  holds  smokes  above  her 
head,  which  shows  in  relief  against  the  foliage  of  the  trees  on 
the  hillock  behind  her.  The  group  is  placed  on  high  ground; 
and  below,  in  the  distance,  the  landscape  suggests  the  lines  of 
the  mountains  about  the  Grecian  capital. 

The  canvas  was  quite  widely  shown  at  picture  exhibitions, 
and  was  felt  to  be  a  little  disappointing ;  but  this  has  been  so  in- 
variably the  impression  made  upon  the  writer, — and  also  noted 
by  many  other  critics,— when  mural  paintings  are  seen  out  of 
place,  that  a  just  or  valuable  judgment  cannot  be  made  under 
these  circumstances.  The  nobler  the  decorative  quality,  the 
more  trying  is  such  a  detached  condition,  as  any  one  was  con- 
vinced that  saw  Puvis  de  Chavannes's  canvases  in  the  Salon, 
where  they  never  appeared  to  advantage. 

The  reader  who  is  perhaps  fortunately  familiar  with  Mr. 
La  Farge's  painting,  or  at  any  rate,  it  may  be  presumed,  has 

156 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


read  the  first  chapter,  and  gained  an  idea  of  his  standing,  will 
feel  that  our  subject  is  much  enriched  by  every  opportunity 
that  is  given  him  to  exercise  his  powers  as  a  decorator. 

Mr.  Vedder  was  fortunate  in  the  subject  Rome,  since  he  has 
made  his  home  in  Italy  for  many  years,  and  is  entirely  in  sym- 
pathy with  classical  traditions. 

His  composition  on  the  west  wall,  however,  does  not  sug- 
gest the  antique  monuments  or  history  of  the  Eternal  City, 
but  illustrates  the  spiritual  qualities  which  underlie  all  art. 
The  figures  are  placed  in  front  of  a  marble  wall,  ornamented 
with  fine  carving,  suggestive  of  a  corridor  or  room  in  a  palace. 
The  large  circular  opening  wherein  Nature  stands  framed,  shows 
the  sky  above  her.  This  statuesque  nude  figure  is  very  beauti- 
fully drawn  ;  her  long  hair  unbound  floats  about  her;  one  hand 
rests  upon  the  Tree  of  Life,  whose  roots,  growing  beside  her 
shapely  feet,  hide  a  hideous  skull.  Upon  the  trunk  hangs  a  tab- 
let graven  with  the  Greek  letter  Alpha  ;  and  upon  the  branch 
whereon  the  fruit  is  ripe  that  she  bears  in  her  left  hand,  is  a 
similar  form  with  Omega  upon  it, —  the  beginning  and  the  end. 
A  twisting  strip  of  drapery  with  the  graceful  folds  that  this 
artist  draws  to  perfection  finds  its  way  upward  from  a  lyre  that 
rests  upon  the  floor,  curving  around  the  figure  of  Nature,  and 
swelling  out  above  her  head  and  ending  in  a  swirl  that  is 
caught  by  the  slender  branches  of  the  Tree  of  Life. 

Mr.  Vedder  always  depends  more  upon  form  and  flowing 
lines  than  upon  perfection  in  colour;  and  the  rather  neutral 
flesh  tones  in  this  and  the  other  nude  and  partly  nude  figures 
are  so  entirely  his  own  medium  of  expression  that  one  would 
not  have  them  otherwise,  what  is  lacking  in  brilliancy  of 
colour  being  made  up  by  the  richness  of  the  design  and  ful- 
ness of  form. 

158 


THE    WALKER    ART  BUILDING 


On  the  left,  Thought  is  seated.  Her  robe  of  many  folds  and 
the  scarf  about  her  head  and  neck  add  to  her  majestic  propor- 
tions. Her  finely  modelled  classic  face  recalls  the  types  of  mys- 
terious sibylline  women  that  the  artists  of  the  Renaissance  used 
to  paint.  Beside  her  sits  the  winged  Soul,  an  extremely  youth- 
ful maiden,  who  holds  a  scroll,  and  gazes  into  her  companion's 
inscrutable  face.  These  two  figures,  and  the  emblems  crowded 
together  in  the  extreme  corner,  are  balanced  by  an  opposite 
group:  Colour,  nude  to  the  waist,  her  low-browed  face,  from 
which  the  parted  hair  is  rolled  back,  showing  an  exquisite  line 
of  profile ;  and  Love,  who  is  drawing  upon  a  tablet  with  an 
arrow. 

The  line  of  figures  is  considerably  above  the  lower  edge  of 
the  canvas,  which  allows  the  names  of  the  qualities  they  repre- 
sent; and  a  band  of  conventional  ornament  consisting  of  gar- 
lands festooned  between  masks  to  be  painted  beneath  them. 
Mr.  Vedder  has  long  been  notable  as  an  artist  of  powerful  im- 
agination, whose  work  is  always  conceived  according  to  a  very 
high  standard.  The  stamp  of  his  distinguished  personality  is 
upon  this  rendering  of  Rome.  No  one  else  could  have  given 
the  subject  with  the  same  peculiar  plastic  charm,  or  the  air 
that  is  half  mystery,  half  grandeur.  He  has  done  nothing 
finer  than  this  in  his  long  artistic  career. 

In  Mr.  Thayer's  painting,  Florence,  on  the  south  wall,  the 
front  of  the  platform  on  which  the  figures  rest  is  ornamented 
with  five  heraldic  shields,  the  central  one  blazoned  with  the 
lilies  of  the  city.  Above  this  the  heavenly  guardian  of  the 
Arts,  white-robed,  stands,  protecting  her  earthly  children,  Paint- 
ing and  Sculpture, —  toddling  babes  who  lean  against  her  knees, 
undecided  whether  or  not  to  take  the  few  steps  by  which  they 

'59 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


could  reach  the  suppliants  that  kneel  before  them  with  hands 
enticingly  outstretched.  The  background  is  a  distant  view  of 
the  city.  The  breadth  of  Mr.  Thayer's  style  gives  his  compo- 
sitions a  quality  which  is  closely  akin  to  the  true  spirit  of  deco- 
ration ;  and  even  his  small  canvases,  if  rolled  in  place  instead 
of  being  hung  in  frames,  would  be  astonishingly  fine  mural 
paintings.  So  that  in  this  his  first  strictly  decorative  essay  his 
experience  of  the  special  requirements  of  the  occasion  seems  al- 
ready complete ;  and  his  splendid  painting  brings  forcibly  to 
mind  how  truly  such  gifts  are  born,  and  cannot  be  made. 

The  very  way  the  artist  lays  on  his  paint  is  a  beauty  in  it- 
self, for  he  is  indeed  a  painter  for  painters.  He  has  thrown 
away  all  the  conventions  of  academic  training;  and  his  tech- 
nique is  marvellously  personal,  expressing  the  most  subtle, 
indefinable  aspects  of  nature  broadly,  simply,  and  with  striking 
directness,  and  produces  an  ensemble  which  is  distinguished  by 
the  largeness  of  the  entirely  aesthetic  impression,  by  grandeur 
and  originality.  No  words  can  do  justice  to  the  loveliness  of 
this  painting  of  Florence,  the  gracious,  all-womanly  protecting 
angel;  her  grave,  noble  face;  her  milk-white  arms  and  neck, 
showing  amid  her  white  drapery  with  the  luminosity  of  nature; 
the  wings,  gently  toned,  that  spread  about  her ;  the  tenderness 
with  which  the  children's  little  soft  bodies  have  been  treated ; 
the  simplicity  of  the  kneeling  figures ;  the  atmospheric  effect 
of  the  distant  city. 

Greatness  is  one  of  the  rarest  qualities,  and  most  highly  to 
be  prized.  Its  shadow  ever  dwells  upon  Mr.  Thayer's  achieve- 
ment; and  the  power  of  this  canvas  stirs  the  imagination,  and 
carries  the  thoughts  into  regions  filled  with  the  memories  of 
the  most  beautiful  forms,  which  have  served  the  spirit  of  art  as 
immortal  garments. 

160 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


It  is  to  be  deplored  that  this  is  the  only  example  of  the 
artist's  skill  in  the  field  that  the  volume  covers.  Let  us  hope 
that  this  will  not  be  the  case  much  longer.  There  should  be 
more  than  one  important  series  from  his  hand,  while  his  talents 
stand  at  their  present  ripe  and  vigorous  development. 

There  are  no  American  paintings  that  are  animated  by 
more  beautiful  ideals  or  have  tendencies  more  noble  and  ex- 
alting; and  it  behooves  our  rich  men  and  our  architects  to  see 
that  the  multitude  that  visits  our  public  buildings,  yearning  for 
cultivation,  for  knowledge,  for  a  glimpse  of  something  lovely 
outside  of  their  unaesthetic  experiences,  following  each  painted 
wall  with  an  earnestness  that  is  absolutely  pathetic,  are  not 
deprived  of  the  pleasure  which  this  inestimable  artist  could 
give  them.  It  would  be  interesting  to  see  how  Mr.  Thayer 
would  acquit  himself  on  an  ambitious  area,  like  that  of  the 
Sargent  Corridor.  Perhaps  this  is  one  of  the  good  things  the 
future  has  in  store. 

When  Mr.  Cox  had  in  contemplation  Venice,  which  is  now 
on  the  north  wall,  he  spent  some  time  in  the  City  of  the 
Adriatic,  reviving  his  memories  of  the  Venetian  masters,  for 
whom  he  had  always  felt  the  deepest  admiration;  and  the  influ- 
ence of  their  robust  style  and  glowing  colour  can  be  seen  in 
his  canvas.  Any  one  that  can  draw  and  paint  as  well  as  Mr. 
Cox,  and  who  works  from  such  high  motives,  always  gives  out 
what  is  good  art ;  but  his  compositions  often  appear  too  pre- 
meditated, too  accurately  weighted,  the  groups  of  faultless 
figures  carefully  arranged  seem  too  cold,  to  appeal  to  the  gen- 
eral favour.  But  here  the  largeness  of  the  masses,  a  broader, 
more  sweeping  line  than  usual,  a  greater  fulness  of  colour,  add 
interest  and  charm.    One  need  not  depend  upon  the  critical 

162 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


faculty  in  order  to  speak  in  its  praise ;  for  admiration  leaps  be- 
fore analysis,  and  the  enthusiasm  is  thoroughly  aroused.  Fol- 
lowing the  favourite  manner  of  the  enthroned  Madonnas  which 
are  typical  of  the  school,  Venice  sits  in  the  centre,  her  high 
throne  covered  with  red  and  gold  brocade  that  falls  below  her 
feet  and  rises  above  her  head,  making  a  rich  bar  of  colour.  A 
crown  rests  on  her  fair  hair,  her  white  gown  is  patterned  with 
gold, —  a  reproduction  of  a  vestment  in  a  painting  by  Vero- 
nese,—  and  is  half  covered  by  a  crimson  satin  cloak  with  jew- 
elled clasps. 

At  her  feet  is  Painting,  the  type  of  whose  head  amid  the 
masses  of  her  warm-coloured  hair,  her  strong  nude  torso,  and 
the  changeful  orange  and  red  drapery  wrapped  about  her  knees 
recall  the  full-favoured  beauties,  whose  silks  and  satins  but 
partly  conceal  their  fine  persons,  that  were  the  ideals  of  the 
Venetian  artists.  The  lines  of  her  figure  compose  most  pleas- 
ingly with  the  lion  of  St.  Mark  behind  her,  a  splendid  beast 
with  tawny  and  rose-coloured  wings.  Beyond  is  a  glimpse  of 
distant  boats,  the  Ducal  Palace,  and  the  Campanile  of  St. 
Mark's. 

The  male  figure  on  the  left  typifies  Commerce,  with  the  at- 
tributes of  Mercury.  He  rests  easily  against  one  side  of  the 
throne.  A  violet  cloak  falls  about  him,  the  wings  on  his  cap, 
caducens,  and  sandals  are  tipped  with  scarlet.  A  pair  of  the  char- 
acteristic yellow  sails,  ornamented  in  red  and  black,  loom  up  be- 
hind him ;  a  bale  of  goods,  coins,  a  string  of  pearls,  and  a  steer- 
ing oar  fill  the  corner. 

The  paintings,  excepting  the  one  by  Mr.  La  Farge,  which 
was  finished  in  1898,  are  signed  1894. 

Our  distances  are  so  much  greater  than  those  in  Europe, 

1 64 


MENDELSSOHN    GLEE  CLUB 


where  a  journey  to  see  even  one  good  picture  repays  the 
trouble,  that  it  is  quite  impossible  for  many  persons  outside  of 
those  connected  with  the  business  or  instruction  of  the  college 
to  visit  this  distant  Maine  town.  It  has  therefore  been  the 
greater  pleasure  to  speak  of  these  remarkable  paintings  at  some 
length,  in  hopes  of  adding  to  the  appreciation  of  their  merit 
and  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  reproductions,  which  is  all  that 
most  of  the  world  will  ever  see  of  them. 

When  called  upon  to  decorate  the  concert  hall  of  the  Men- 
delssohn Glee  Club,  the  problem  before  Mr.  Blum  was  twofold. 
The  paintings  must  be  suitable  in  theme  and  character  to  an 
environment  intended  to  heighten  the  charm  of  the  musical  oc- 
casions for  which  it  was  designed,  and  must  accord  —  a  difficult 
task  without  falling  into  feebleness  of  tone  and  colour  —  with 
the  unrelieved  white  finish  of  the  room.  The  space  consisted 
of  the  half-dome  immediately  over  the  stage,  and  a  frieze,  fifty 
feet  long  by  twelve  feet  high,  on  each  of  the  side  walls.  At  the 
time  of  this  writing  only  the  frieze  has  been  put  into  place. 

Mr.  Blums  reputation  was  already  high,  both  as  an  il- 
lustrator and  as  a  painter  of  very  clever  easel  pictures;  and  his 
treatment  of  the  unimportant  opportunities  for  decorations  that 
had  come  his  way,  stimulated  the  desire  to  see  what  he  would 
accomplish  on  a  larger  scale.  As  soon  as  the  first  panel  was 
seen,  it  was  evident  that  he  had  quite  surpassed  himself,  and 
had  at  once  established  his  right  to  be  considered  among  the 
foremost  American  decorators. 

The  Moods  of  Music,  finished  in  1S95,  is,  as  the  name  im- 
plies, suggestive  of  the  various  impressions  of  musical  forms 
and  harmonies.  The  scene  is  laid  in  a  meadow  dappled  with 
spring  flowers ;  and  the  background,  except  for  a  short  stretch 

165 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


of  sky  at  each  end,  is  covered  by  the  intertwining  branches  of 
orchard  trees  heavily  laden  with  blossoms.  In  this  paradise  a 
procession  of  young  maidens  has  halted ;  and  some  of  them  are 
playing  the  old  game  of  forming  a  ring  around  a  favourite,  and 
whirling  madly  round  and  round,  so  that  she  cannot  break 
through  the  clasped  hands.  To  the  right,  against  a  bit  of  clas- 
sic wall,  are  stately  women  with  lyres,  and  tall  lithe  flute-players 
with  skins  girt  about  their  hips,  who  play  a  tune  upon  their  in- 
struments that  has  set  the  young  feet  springing  on  the  sward; 
and  beyond  the  merry-makers,  on  the  left,  the  rest  of  their  com- 
panions crowd  up  in  pairs,  some  playing  on  enormous  tam- 
bourines and  others  singing  as  they  appear  around  the  edge  of 
the  trees.  The  tone  of  the  landscape  is  of  that  delicate  light- 
ness both  in  leafage  and  blossom  which,  mirrored  under  a 
clear,  cool  sky,  makes  the  peerless  loveliness  of  the  early  part 
of  the  spring.  And  in  the  midst  of  this  the  notes  of  the  girlish 
blond  and  brunette  heads,  the  bare  arms  and  necks,  and  the 
many  hues  of  grey,  pink,  lavender,  and  green,  and  white,  of 
their  fluttering  draperies,  worn  with  careless  negligence,  are  as 
harmonious  as  if  a  flock  of  soft-feathered  doves  had  lighted 
upon  the  grass. 

If  one  has  ever  seen  a  bevy  of  girls  delighting  in  the  advent 
of  the  warm  weather,  who  have  trooped  off  by  themselves  to 
gather  wild  flowers  and  indulge  in  a  happy  frolic,  dancing  and 
skipping  about  in  the  happiest  abandonment,  until  the  plainest 
grows  handsome  in  the  excitement  of  the  moment,  then  a  little 
idea  of  the  spirit  of  this  canvas  can  be  formed.  Only  that 
here  the  charm  is  heightened  a  thousand-fold,  for  the  artist 
has  drawn  a  vision  of  Arcadia,  where  all  faces  are  comely,  all 
figures  elegant,  where  the  sun  does  not  burn  or  scorch,  and 

166 


MENDELSSOHN    GLEE  CLUB 


the  blossoms  of  April  are  as  lasting  as  they  are  sweet.  The 
refinement,  the  grace,  the  irresistible  loveliness  of  the  con- 
ception, cannot  be  described. 

There  are  no  paintings  in  this  country  that  are  more  abso- 
lutely decorative  or  fulfil  the  conditions  of  their  environment 
more  strictly  than  this.  The  entire  effect  makes  a  matchless 
combination  of  delicate,  pure  colour  with  the  dead  white  of  the 
walls,  the  rhythmic  movement  of  the  figures  is  one  with  the 
strains  of  the  voices  that  swell  beneath  them,  and  the  compo- 
sition is  managed  with  such  cleverness  that  in  the  throng  of 
beauties  —  each  one  worthy  of  closest  study  —  there  is  not  one 
of  them,  or  the  least  fold  or  garland  or  fluttering  lock  of  hair, 
however  fascinating  in  itself,  but  that  is  obliged  to  play  a  sub- 
ordinate part  for  the  benefit  of  the  decorative  impression. 
The  interest  centres  upon  the  leader  of  the  pageant,  sur- 
rounded by  her  ring  of  playmates,  their  wind-blown  garments 
swirling  around  them  in  fantastic  shapes, —  a  fair  ethereal  com- 
pany, their  faces  lighted  with  smiles  and  laughter,  suggesting 
the  Andante,  Allegro,  Allegretto,  and  other  musical  move- 
ments. In  the  fear  of  falling  into  the  error  of  prettiness,  so 
many  artists  have  forgotten  the  beautiful,  and  put  the  public 
off  with  ugliness,  which  is  strangely  called  "character,"  or  with 
abstract  and  uninteresting  types  that  are  vaguely  called  "clas- 
sic," that  it  is  a  great  pleasure  to  see  this  painting,  in  which 
beauty  of  every  order  is  poured  out  with  a  generous  hand. 

Although  much  that  has  been  said  concerning  The  Moods 
of  Music  applies  to  the  second  panel,  A  Vintage  Festival 
(1898),  there  is  one  considerable  difference:  the  first  is  a  scene 
which  has  never  been  presented  in  just  that  way  before.  It  is  as 
distinctly  an  individual  conception  as  Botticelli's  Primavcra  or 

1 67 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


Mendelssohn's  Spring  Song.  While  the  other,  for  all  the  charm 
of  its  arrangement,  differs  but  little  in  effect  and  feeling  from 
other  gorgeous  processions  in  white  marble  temples,  painted 
by  artists  that  have  combined  careful  study  of  classic  archi- 
tecture, ceremonials,  and  costumes,  with  the  technical  brilliancy 
necessary  to  produce  the  subject  in  a  lifelike  manner.  But, 
granting  the  distinction,  it  must  be  conceded  that  the  artist  has 
given  the  two  processions  in  a  way  that  avoids  monotony. 
They  are  admirable  pendants,  and  complement  each  other. 
Their  contrasting  forms  show  the  delicate  and  imaginative  side 
of  the  art  of  music,  and  its  sensuous  and  intoxicating  power. 
The  votaries  of  Bacchus  go  clad  in  rich  colours ;  their  revels 
are  unrestrained ;  they  abandon  themselves  in  ecstasies  of  de- 
votion to  the  god  of  wine.  No  heavenly  music  sounds  in  their 
ears,  but  stirring  melodies  that  suggest  the  pleasures  of  the 
earth  "and  the  fulness  thereof."  Some  of  the  groups  framed 
in  the  fine  white  marble  setting  are  very  beautiful, —  noticeably, 
the  boy  holding  a  kid  in  his  arms,  that  heads  the  revellers;  and 
the  four  young  women  on  the  balustrade  behind  him ;  the 
mother,  crouched  in  the  foreground,  clasping  her  fair-haired, 
nude  child,  whose  arm  is  twined  about  her  neck ;  and  the  tall, 
graceful  figure  in  the  centre  that,  with  back  turned  toward 
the  spectator,  is  looking  out  over  the  landscape  in  the  back- 
ground. 

It  has  not  yet  been  decided  when  or  in  what  manner  the 
half-dome  will  be  completed;  but  Mr.  Blum's  admirers,  and  all 
admirers  of  good  art,  are  awaiting  the  event  with  some  impa- 
tience. 


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X.    THE   LIBRARY  OF 
CONGRESS 


The  exterior  of  the  pile  of  solid  masonry  which  is  dedicated 
to  the  housing  of  the  National  Library  has  the  characteristics 
of  the  well-worn  type  of  our  government  buildings.  The  con- 
ventionality of  the  design  ;  the  unnecessary  flight  of  steps  at  the 
entrance,  erected  with  the  intention  of  giving  an  air  of  monu- 
mental grandeur ;  the  dome  which  has  no  particular  dignity; 
and  the  details,  which  are  properties  used  by  conservative 
architects  from  one  ocean  to  the  other, —  are  all  familiar;  and 
yet,  despite  this  lack  of  architectural  distinction,  the  building 
must  be  regarded  as  having  very  extraordinary  claims  to  im- 
portance. 

For  it  is  a  model  of  convenience,  both  for  library  purposes 
and  for  the  accommodation  of  the  public,  and,  by  the  extent  to 
which  both  plastic  and  pictorial  decoration  have  been  used  in 
the  interior,  an  artistic  example  has  been  given  to  the  nation, 
that  has  awakened  a  broader  and  deeper  interest  in  our  subject 
than  has  ever  been  shown  before. 

We  have  no  city  that  is  equal  to  Washington  for  the  dif- 
fusion of  ideas;  for  it  is  largely  an  exhibition  ground,  which 
draws  people  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  who  go  the  rounds 
of  the  official  buildings,  and  carry  home  new  and  enlarged 
views  from  what  they  have  seen.  To  the  majority  of  these 
sight-seers  the  decorations  are  as  great  a  revelation  as  the 
Italian  frescoes  are  to  their  more  travelled  countrymen  ;  and 
the  feeling  entertained  toward  the  new  departure  marks  a 

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AMERICAN     MURAL  PAINTING 


period  of  development,  when  both  mural  painting  and  sculpt- 
ure, of  a  high  artistic  order,  are  no  longer  dependent  upon 
private  enterprise  or  the  fostering  care  of  a  few  very  cultivated 
cities,  but  have  an  assured  place  in  the  broader  field  of  our 
national  institutions. 

No  sooner  are  the  entrance  doors  of  the  Library  of  Con- 
gress passed  than  the  outer  walls  are  forgotten,  for  they  are 
only  the  shell  and  casing  of  one  of  the  most  remarkable  and 
interesting  interiors  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic.  The  admira- 
tion grows  with  every  step  through  the  rooms  and  corridors. 
Nothing  just  like  it  has  been  seen  anywhere  else,  for  it  is  dis- 
tinctly characteristic  of  our  time,  our  state  of  prosperity  and 
wealth,  and  our  advancement  in  the  arts;  and  it  is  of  much 
more  value  now,  and  will  be  in  the  future,  than  if,  though  ex- 
hibiting fewer  mistakes  and  shortcomings,  it  had  lost  its  best 
distinction, —  the  stamp  of  intense  character.  Although  each 
of  the  distinguished  artists  that  received  commissions  for  the 
figure  subjects  was  consulted,  when  it  was  possible,  about  the 
setting  of  his  paintings,  and  any  modifications  that  his  taste 
suggested  were  carried  out,  still  this  policy  did  not  cause  any 
great  revolution ;  and  the  large  general  plan  of  decoration 
must  be  accredited  first  to  Edward  Pearce  Casey,  the  largeness 
of  whose  guiding  mind  inspired  all,  and  then  to  Elmer  E. 
Garnsey,  who  was  in  his  employ. 

The  somewhat  complicated  history  of  the  building  opened 
with  the  designs  made  by  Messrs.  Smithmeyer  and  Pelz  that 
were  accepted  by  Congress  in  1886,  to  be  carried  out  under  a 
commission  which  consisted  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior, 
the  Architect  of  the  Capitol  Extension,  and  the  Librarian  of 
Congress.     Two  years  later  a  complete  change  was  made  ;  and 

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THE    LIBRARY    OF  CONGRESS 


Brigadier-general  Casey,  the  Chief  of  the  Corps  of  Engineers 
of  the  Army,  was  placed  in  sole  charge,  the  appropriations  at 
his  command  being  limited  to  about  six  millions  of  dollars. 

Bernard  R.  Green,  with  the  titles  of  Superintendent  and 
Engineer,  was  associated  with  General  Casey,  until  the  death 
of  the  latter,  when  Mr.  Green  was  promoted  to  the  vacant  place. 
Paul  Pelz,  one  of  the  original  architects,  continued  his  connec- 
tion until  1892,  when  the  walls  were  little  more  than  half  their 
intended  height.  He  was  succeeded  by  Edward  Pearce  Casey, 
and  it  was  owing  to  this  change  and  to  Mr.  Casey's  taste  and 
judgment  that  the  success  of  the  decorations  are  due.  With  a 
large  corp  of  assistants,  he  worked  for  over  three  years  upon 
the  plans  for  the  interior,  only  certain  portions  of  which  had 
been  completed  by  his  predecessor;  and  such  was  the  magni- 
tude of  his  undertaking  that  not  only  were  fifty  orders  given  to 
distinguished  artists  and  sculptors,  but  it  was  found  necessary 
to  place  each  branch  of  the  decoration  in  the  hands  of  a  compe- 
tent expert,  who  had  the  oversight  of  a  band  of  skilled  work- 
men,—  Elmer  E.  Garnsey  of  the  painters,  Albert  Weinhart  of 
the  sculptors  and  modellers,  and  H.  T.  Schladermundt  of  the 
workers  in  mosaic  and  coloured  glass. 

Mr.  Garnscy's  scheme  of  colour  and  design  is  so  admirable 
that,  even  were  the  more  celebrated  artistic  features  kicking, 
the  building  would  still  be  of  great  beauty;  for  within  the 
limits  that  he  sets  for  himself  he  is  a  most  distinguished  ar- 
tist. He  has  planned  the  spaces  at  his  disposal  in  sequences 
of  colour  that  give  largeness,  magnificence,  and  variety,  and 
upon  this  strong  basis  his  use  of  ornament,  the  tendency  of 
which  is  always  structural  and  architectural,  recalls  the  finest 
periods  of  such  work  in  Italy,  of  which  he  has  been  a  devoted 

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AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


student ;  and,  although  his  methods  show  their  inspira- 
tion too  plainly  to  be  considered  original,  yet  he  brings  much 
of  his  own  treatment  to  the  revival  of  the  older  order. 

It  would  be  a  pleasure  to  linger  upon  many  of  the  fine  de- 
tails, and  to  comment  upon  notable  architectural  features, — 
the  statues,  reliefs,  mosaics,  plaster  ornamentations,  et-cetera, 


Copyright,  1896,  by  C.  S.  Pearce.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1897,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 


STUDY.    By  CHARLES  SPRAGUE  PEARCE. 

which  go  to  make  up  the  remarkable  vistas  that  stretch  out 
before  the  eyes,  where  all  the  arts  seem  to  have  become  united 
in  one  family,  each  an  accessory  of  the  other.  But  the  descrip- 
tions here  must  necessarily  be  limited  to  the  work  of  the  mural 
painters,  of  whom  over  twenty  were  engaged.  In  their  selec- 
tion a  most  remarkable  breadth  of  mind  was  displayed.  No  one 
phase  in  the  art  of  the  day,  or  any  one  school,  predominates. 
Impressionism,  classicism,  individualism,  all  are  given  an 
equal  opportunity ;  and  the  period  of  American  painting  is 

172 


r  H  E    LIBRARY    OF  CONGRESS 


spread  out  upon  the  walls  in  a  way  that  is  thoroughly  repre- 
sentative. 

In  planning  the  Grand  Staircase  and  the  corridors  about  it, 
the  architect's  aim  stood  high;  and  he  set  aside  an  enormous 
space  which  would  allow  for  the  superb  proportions  he  desired, 
and  this  for  no  utilitarian  ends, —  the  rest  of  the  library  makes 


Copyright,  i8;/>,  by  C.  S.  I'earce.  From  a  Ccplcy  I'rint.    Copyright,  iS<)7,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 

RELIGION.    Dl  CHAKLKS  SPRACIK  I'KARCK. 

sufficient  claims  to  utility, —  but  to  make  a  purely  architectural 
and  aesthetic  triumph,  which  has  justified  the  appropriation 
beyond  all  expectations.  On  the  lower  story  the  attention  is 
first  claimed  by  the  corridor  where  Charles  Sprague  Pearces 
compositions  of  The  Family  are  placed.  They  are  decidedly  in 
a  pictorial  vein,  and  are  marred  by  the  weakness  of  the  artist's 
drawing  which  is  apparent  everywhere.  The  rather  sweet, 
clean  colour  and  the  prettiness  of  the  landscapes  have  to  atone 
for  the  lack  of  more  sterling  qualities. 

i73 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


Certain  of  the  series  are  far  more  pleasing  than  others,  the 
largest  one,  properly  of  The  Family,  which  shows  a  man  in  the 
prime  of  life  returning  from  hunting  to  the  home  circle  of 
wife,  children,  and  parents,  being  fatally  stiff  and  monotonous 
both  in  design  and  execution  ;  while  Study,  where  two  young 
girls  are  seated  upon  some  large  rocks,  has  much  more  ease, 


Copyright,  1896,  by  C.  S.  Pearce.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1897,  by  Curtis  &  Canieror.. 

RECREATION.    By  CHARLES  SPRAGUE  PEARCE. 


and  Religion  has  become  deservedly  well  known,  the  thought 
being  well  carried  out  in  the  simple  grave  figures  of  the  man 
and  woman  kneeling  in  the  act  of  worship  before  an  unsteady 
altar  made  of  two  stones,  upon  which  burns  the  fire  that  is  the 
object  of  their  devotion. 

Edward  Simmons  was  given  entire  control  of  the  decorative 
plan  for  the  curtain  corridor  where  his  paintings  are  seen,  and 
has  made  of  it  one  of  the  most  distinguished  features  of  the 
house.    The  nine  large  tympanums  containing  figures  of  the 

i74 


THE    LIBRARY    OF  CONGRESS 


Muses,  and  the  smaller  panels,  form  a  comprehensive  whole, 
which  is  a  fine  permanent  addition  to  the  few  very  remarkable 
decorative  efforts  that  stand  peerless  above  the  excellent  aver- 
age, made  by  our  artists'  great  activity. 

There  is  nothing  strained  or  studied  about  Mr.  Simmons  s 
methods.    Each  bit  of  painting  shows  the  nervous  vital  force 


Copyright,  i8i/>,  by  C.  S.  1'cartc.  From  .1  Copcly  Print.    Copyright,  i6>;7>  by  Curtis  &  Chuck 


LABOUR.   Bv  CHARLES  SPRAGUE  PEARCE. 

that  allows  him,  first,  to  see  his  purpose  in  a  very  large  way,  and 
then  to  carry  it  into  execution  rapidly,  almost  impatiently, 
leaving  life  and  originality  in  the  train  of  his  hasty  brush.  He 
never  thinks  of  ringing  variations  on  past  successes,  as  is  too 
often  the  case  with  artists  the  world  over,  but  is  ever  in  a  new 
mood,  and  puts  his  whole  personality  into  it,  in  a  way  that 
leaves  no  choice  in  the  accomplishment  of  so  versatile  a  nature. 
The  finest  qualities  of  this  masterly  piece  of  work  are  lost  in 
description ;  and,  to  appreciate  them  properly,  the  corridor 


1 75 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


should  be  visited  again  and  again.  Apart  from  the  skill  which 
has  made  them  such  a  beautiful  portion  of  a  perfect  design,  the 
lofty  lines  on  which  the  images  of  the  Muses  are  drawn,  the 
striking  arrangement  of  the  colour  masses,  and  the  large  out- 
line of  the  draperies  give  a  series  of  pictures  that,  with  but 


Copyright,  1896,  by  Edward  Simmons.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1896,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 


URANIA.    By  EDWARD  SIMMONS. 

one  or  two  exceptions,  are  of  a  rare  dignity.  Their  concep- 
tions are  weighted  with  the  overpowering  fatefulness  of  Greek 
thought.  Their  majestic,  inscrutable,  mysterious  presences 
produce  a  feeling  of  awe. 

The  elements  that  go  toward  this  end  are  strikingly  sim- 
ple. The  principal  figures  —  sometimes  nude,  sometimes,  as  in 
the  case  of  Clio,  clad  in  a  loose  cut  and  fitted  gown,  or  more 
often  with  great  pieces  of  drapery  flung  about  them,  spreading 
out  and  enveloping  them  like  fine  cloud  forms  —  do  not  depend 
upon  interesting  accessories  to  heighten  their  charms.  The 

176 


THE    LIBRARY    OF  CONGRESS 


details  are  of  the  slightest.  One  or  two  cherubs,  or  wreaths 
twined  of  scanty  blossoms,  in  the  corners  of  the  arches,  the 
absolutely  essential  symbolism  of  mask  or  globe,  is  all  the  artist 
allows  himself;  and  these  are  of  very  minor  importance  in  con- 
nection with  the  all-important  personalities,  that,  in  turn,  are 


Copyright,  1896,  by  Edward  Simmons  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,         by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 


CALLIOPE.    BY  EDWARD  SIMMONS. 

first  of  all  a  band  of  sisters  dwelling  together  in  complete  unity 
and  harmony. 

Notice  the  magnificent  Calliope,  with  outstretched  white 
arms  and  bared  chest,  her  head  poised  like  a  flower  upon  the 
pillar  of  her  neck.  A  shadow  half  covers  her  face,  her  lips  are 
parted  as  though  chanting  the  long  measures  of  the  Odyssey  or 
the  Iliad.  As  she  sits  there,  surrounded  by  voluminous  blue 
folds,  she  seems  as  vividly,  as  vitally  a  personality  as  any  living 
soul.  And  the  beautiful  Melpomene,  original  and  daring 
image, —  her  tragic  countenance  appears  framed  in  the  swirls  of 

177 


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the  rose-red  cloak  that  is  her  garment;  her  hands  are  parted  in 
a  commanding  gesture ;  the  mask  that  lies  at  her  feet  is  not 
more  inscrutable  than  the  expression  of  her  downcast  face. 
The  colour  partakes  of  the  breadth  which  is  the  life  of  the 
series,  and  is  varied  without  clashing, —  in  tones  of  blue,  red, 
orange,  grey,  and  gold. 


Copyright,  1896,  by  Edward  Simmons.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1896,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 


MELPOMENE.    By  EDWARD  SIMMONS. 

Agreeable  sensations  only  are  experienced  in  passing  from 
Mr.  Simmons's  splendid  achievement  to  the  corridor  in  which 
Henry  Oliver  Walkers  paintings,  which  are  grouped  under  the 
general  title  of  Lyric  Poetry are  found ;  for  here,  also,  the 
artist's  presentation  is  most  satisfying.  The  sincerity  and 
refinement  which  mark  all  that  Mr.  Walker  undertakes  make 
his  simple  methods  seem  the  most  fitting  vehicle  possible  for 
the  conveyance  of  his  ideas,  and  cast  a  shade  of  commonness 
over  more  brilliant  technical  displays,  that  are  not  animated  by 
so  fine  a  spirit. 

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THE    LIBRARY    OF  CONGRESS 


In  the  largest  tympanums  where  Lyric  Poetry  is  represented, 
the  figures  are  placed  in  a  landscape  that  has  the  character, 
without  realism, —  for  it  is  purely  decorative, —  of  having  been 
drawn  from  some  lovely  natural  spot,  where  a  brook  flows 
between  banks  covered  with  grasses  and  plants,  and  the  trees 
above  part  to  show  the  distant  sky.    A  young  girl  representing 


Copyright,  1897,  by  H.  O.  Walker.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright   iftgp,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron 

THE  BOY  OF  WINANDBR.   Bi  HENRY  OLIVER  WALKER. 


the  title  stands  in  the  depression  of  the  bed  of  the  little 
stream.  She  holds  a  lyre,  her  head  is  crowned  with  laurels,  and 
the  expression  of  her  face  is  dreamy  and  absorbed.  On  the 
left  are  Pathos,  Truth,  and  Devotion ;  on  the  right,  Passio;/, 
Beauty,  and  Mirth.  The  gracefully  poised  figure  of  Passion  is 
a  rare  and  most  beautiful  rendering  of  a  most  difficult  subject. 
The  tenderly  poetic  feeling  which  pervades  this  canvas  runs 
through  the  series. 

A  fear  arises,  in  praising  the  smaller  tympanums  for  their 

181 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


literary  interest,  that,  with  the  prevailing  ideas  of  "  art  for  art's 
sake,"  this  may  be  construed  into  the  notion  that  Mr.  Walker 
has  descended  from  the  most  elevated  professional  principles ; 
but  such  is  not  the  case,  for  the  paintings  are  neither  story- 
telling nor  pictorial,  but  are  embodiments  of  the  poet's  creations 
carried  out  in  a  strictly  decorative  manner,  and  they  are  as  fine 


Copyright,  1897,  by  H.  O.  Walker.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1897,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 

GANYMEDE,    By  HENRY  OLIVER  WALKER. 

in  place  as  they  are  enjoyable  and  exquisitely  reflective  of  the 
thought  by  which  they  were  inspired.  The  attention  of  any 
well-read  person,  however  ignorant  of  their  artistic  merit,  or  of 
any  person  of  artistic  tastes,  however  unused  to  reading  poetry, 
will  be  equally  attracted  by  them.  There  lurks  no  danger  here 
of  tendencies  which  might  lower  painting  from  her  high  estate 
into  the  position  of  a  handmaid  of  literature.  The  form  of  Mr. 
Walker's  expression,  both  in  the  controlled  harmony  of  the 
whole  scheme  and  in  individual  beauties,  is  far  too  interesting 

182 


THE    LIBRARY    OF  CONGRESS 


from  a  purely  artistic  point  of  view  for  that.  And  the  thought 
is  stimulated,  the  mind  refreshed,  the  aesthetic  perceptions  sat- 
isfied, by  such  ideals  as  those  shown  in  the  panels,  where  the 
beautiful  nude  Adonis  lies  stretched  upon  the  ground,  fair, 
mournful  image  of  Shakespeare's  lover;  the  quaint  Boy  of 
Winander,  vision  of  Wordsworth's  musings;  the  wicked  Com  us 


Copyright,  1897,  by  H.  O.  Walker.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1^7,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 


ADONIS    Bv  HKNKV  OLIVER  WALKER. 

skulking  through  the  woods,  as  in  Milton's  masque;  and  the  lad 
Endymion,  of  whom  Keats  sang,  reclining  upon  a  hillside,  with 
the  young  moon  shining  upon  him. 

Certain  of  the  corridors  may  be  more  strikingly  attractive, 
the  decorations  show  greater  powers  or  a  more  masterly  tech- 
nique; but  this  is  a  place  to  dream  in,  a  place  to  love.  The 
refinement  and  sentiment  of  the  soft  grey  canvases,  lightened 
with  delicate  blushes  of  colour,  convey  a  feeling  of  peace,  of 
repose,  of  intellectual  calm.    The  atmosphere  is  not  common: 

183 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


it  is  the  one  that  poets  have  loved  better  than  the  garish  light 
of  noonday. 

Up  to  this  time  John  W.  Alexander  had  confined  himself 
to  portrait  painting,  but  his  choice  was  felt  to  be  an  excellent 
one,  for  his  broad  and  vigorous  style  gave  assurance  that  he 
possessed  the  qualities  necessary  for  successful  mural  painting; 
and,  although  he  has  not  sprung  at  once  into  an  equality  with 
his  brilliant  performance  of  past  years,  the  corridor  devoted  to 
The  Evolution  of  the  Book  challenges  the  admiration  to  such 
an  extent  that  continued  opportunity  only  seems  needed  to  lift 
Mr.  Alexander's  reputation  as  a  decorator  into  the  rank  which 
he  has  already  won  by  his  portraits. 

The  subject  is  specially  pleasing ;  and,  from  the  building  of 
the  cairn  to  the  operation  of  the  printing  press,  he  has  shown 
the  epochs  of  literary  development.  That  the  treatment  is 
somewhat  more  illustrative  than  decorative,  is  a  quite  excusable 
limitation  of  a  first  endeavour.  The  atmosphere  and  character 
of  each  of  the  compositions  is  exceedingly  well  defined.  The 
vitality  which  is  so  remarkable  in  the  artist's  portraits,  making 
them  seem  like  living  scenes,  and  his  large  masses  of  light  and 
shade,  carry  forcibly  as  far  as  they  can  be  seen.  Their  merits 
are  so  unusually  equal  that  it  is  difficult  to  express  a  prefer- 
ence ;  yet,  if  one  might  be  admitted,  this  would  include  Oral 
Tradition,  where  the  hooded  and  cloaked  Arabs  encircling 
their  spokesman  might  have  been  sketched  just  as  they  are 
when  upon  some  Eastern  journey,  the  Egyptian  Hieroglyphics, 
where  a  workman  is  chiselling  an  inscription  upon  a  tomb,  a 
young  girl  watching  his  progress  from  her  place  in  the  oppo- 
site end  of  the  scaffolding,  and  Picture  Writing,  where  ample 
justice  has  been  done  to  the  sculpturesque  forms  of  our  own 

184 


Copyright,  i8</j,  by  John  W.  Alexander.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1S97,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 

THE  CAIRN.    P.v  JOHN  \V.  ALKXANDER. 


Copyright,  iSc/j,  by  John  W.  Alexander.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  iS.^;,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 

EGYPTIAN  HIEROGLYPHICS.    Pv  JOHN  \V.  ALEXANDER. 


Copyright,  1896,  by  John  W.  Alexander.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1897,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 

ORAL  TRADITION.    By  JOHN  W.  ALEXANDER. 


Copyright,  1896,  by  John  W.  Alexander.         From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1897,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 
PICTURE  WRITING.    By  JOHN  W.  ALEXANDER. 


Copyright,  1896,  by  John  W,  Alexander.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright;  iS.,7,  by  Curtis  K:  Cameron. 

THE  MANUSCRIPT  HOOK.    Pv  JOHN  W.  ALEXANDER. 


Copyright,  1S96,  by  John  W.  Alexander.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  by  Curtis  ft  Cameron. 

THE  PRINTING-PRESS.   Bt  JOHN  W.  ALEXANDER. 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


Indians,  who  are  practising  their  peculiar  method  of  making 
records.  As  the  corridor  is  left  behind,  there  is  a  strong  desire 
to  see  more  in  this  way  from  Mr.  Alexander's  brush  ;  and  con- 
fidence is  felt  that  he  will  soon  stand  among  our  foremost 
muralists. 

The  curtain   corridor,  matching  the  one  graced   by  Mr. 


Copyright,  1896,  by  Walter  McEwen.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1897,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 

PARIS.    By  WALTER  McEWEN. 

Simmons's  Muses,  is  adorned  by  Walter  McEwen's  series, 
illustrating  stories  of  the  Greek  heroes. 

In  choosing  notable  incidents  from  the  myths  woven  about 
Paris,  Jason,  Bellerophon,  Orpheus,  Perseus,  .  Prometheus, 
Theseus,  Achilles,  and  Hercules,  a  wide  range  of  experiences, 
adventures,  and  trials  presented  themselves.  He  shows  Jason 
pleading  with  his  friends  to  join  him  in  the  search  for  the 
Golden  Fleece.  The  company  are  seated  out  of  doors.  The  lis- 
teners lounge  about  a  marble  bench,  behind  which  rise  tall 

188 


THE    LIBRARY    OF  CONGRESS 


poplar-trees  and  a  fair  prospect.  The  hero's  back  is  turned,  but 
the  gesture  made  by  his  hands  shows  the  earnestness  with 
which  he  makes  the  appeal. 

In  a  charming  woodland  where  flows  a  little  stream,  Orpheus 
lies  dying;  and  the  nymphs  who  have  deemed  him  their  enemy 
come  running  toward  him,  beckoning  to  each  other  to  hasten 


Copyright,  iS*/>,  by  Walter  McEwen. 


From  |  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  >S<;7,  by  Curtis  ft  Cameron. 


PROM  ETH EL'S.    Hv  WALTER  McEWEN. 


to  the  scene  of  the  sad  disaster.  At  the  brilliantly  lighted  ban- 
quet where  his  kingly  foe  is  feasting,  surrounded  by  his  court, 
Orpheus  is  seen  emerging  from  the  gloom,  bearing  aloft  the 
head  of  Medusa,  which  shall  turn  their  laughter  into  silence, 
their  living  bodies  into  stone. 

Bellerophon,  resting  in  another  scene,  where  woods  and 
water  are  combined, —  the  landscapes,  indeed,  being  one  of 
the  strongest  points  of  the  compositions, —  beholds  the 
winged  horse  Pegasus  radiant  in  beams  of  heavenly  light; 

1S9 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


and  Hercules,  a  slave  to  love,  is  spinning  at  the  feet  of  his 
mistress. 

These  more  extraordinary  themes  are  interspersed  with 
quieter  and  gentler  ones, —  meetings  of  friends,  lovers,  and  so 
on, —  so  that  the  tension  is  not  felt  to  be  kept  at  too  high  a 
strain.    The  variety  of  the  landscapes,  and  the  play  of  light 


Copyright,  1896,  by  Walter  McEwen.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1897,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 

HERCULES.    By  WALTER  McEWEN. 

and  shade  upon  filleted  heads  and  classic  robes  are  particularly 
admirable.  The  figures  are  grouped  with  skill,  and  tell  the 
stories  agreeably. 

The  Reading-room  reserved  for  the  members  of  the  House 
of  Representatives  contains  a  ceiling,  The  Spectrum  of  Light, 
by  Carl  Gutherz,  and  two  panels  in  mosaic,  executed  from 
designs  by  Frederick  Dielman. 

In  the  chapter  on  the  Walker  Art  Gallery  of  Bowdoin  Col- 
lege, mention  was  made  of  Elihu  Vedder's  splendid  decorative 

190 


THE    LIBRARY    OF  CONGRESS 

accomplishment  there,  with  the  appreciative  admiration  which 
his  talents  call  forth.  Among  the  elder  artists  there  is  no 
more  interesting  figure.  His  work  appeals  to  the  intellect  and 
the  imagination,  its  symbolism  is  of  a  fine  order,  and,  at  a  time 
when  great  laxity  prevails  under  this  title,  is  used  with  a  purity 
and  strictness  that  is  entirely  artistic.  Although  his  achieve- 
ment may  vary  in  excellence,  all  that  passes  from  his  hand  is  of 


Copyright,  «!*/>,  by  Frederick  Dulman.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Cop\nglit,  is,;,  by  Curtis  \  C.imcron. 


LAW.    I5v  FRFUFKICk  MKl.MAN 

dignity,  and  maintains  standards  which  require  that  they  shall 
be  taken  with  seriousness  and  treated  with  reverence.  The 
lobby  that  leads  to  the  Reading-room  where  his  five  tympanums 
are  placed  is  rather  dimly  lighted.  The  paintings,  formally 
designed,  and  in  even  a  more  restrained  colour  scheme  than 
usual,  give  the  impression  of  ornaments  so  subtly  perfect  in 
place  that  they  could  not  be  more  exquisitely  suited  to  the 
environment.    Their  elegance  of  style  is  notable. 

Government  is  the  subject  represented  in  the  series:  the 

191 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


composition  over  the  door  being  devoted  to  this  specially,  with 
Good  Administration  and  Peace  and  Prosperity  on  the  right, 
and  Corrupt  Legislation  and  Anarchy  on  the  left.  Each  one 
shows  three  figures ;  and  the  centre  of  the  backgrounds  is 
filled  by  conventionalized  trees,  either  in  full  leaf  or  with  fruit, 
or  with  bare  branches  making  a  screen  against  the  sky,  as  is 
appropriate  to  the  theme.    These,  and  the  loveliness  of  the 


Copyright,  1896,  by  Frederick  Dielman.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1897,  by  Cu:tis  &  Cameron. 


HISTORY.    By  FREDERICK  DIELMAN. 

many  other  details,  recall  the  fact  that  Mr.  Vedder  has  lived 
long  under  the  influences  of  a  country  filled  with  the  remains  of 
more  aesthetic  times,  when  every  craftsman  wras  an  artist,  and 
the  accessories  of  life  were  meant  to  be  things  of  beauty  as  well 
as  of  use.  The  scales,  the  vases,  musical  instruments,  et  cetera, 
are  all  admirable  in  form. 

Yet,  when  this  has  been  said,  when  the  attention  passes 
from  a  general  survey  to  a  close  scrutiny  of  the  separate  panels, 
those  who  know  Mr.  Vedder  at  his  best  can  scarcely  suppress 

192 


THE    LIBRARY    OF  CONGRESS 


a  feeling  of  disappointment.  Despite  the  appropriateness  of 
the  conceptions,  the  high  character  of  the  symbolism,  and  the 
interesting  management  of  sweeping  lines,  which  here,  as 
always,  the  artist  uses  in  great  perfection,  the  fact  will  obtrude 
that  there  is  more  of  mannerism  than  of  real  expression. 

The  grandeur  and  mystery  which  Mr.  Vedder's  imagination 
usually  casts  around  his  creations,  and  the  grand  types  of 
beautiful  women  whose  stately  presences  have  a  classic  nobility, 
are  quite  lacking.  The  principal  figures  attitudinise,  and  their 
faces  are  sometimes  quite  repellently  ugly.  The  figure  of 
Anarchy,  for  which  such  treatment  is  allowable,  offends  less 
than  the  others.  No  amount  of  attractiveness  in  the  ensemble 
will  make  up  for  the  bovine  Good  Administration,  or  the  fat, 
overmodelled  torso  and  pudgy  countenance  of  the  principal 
figure  in  Peace,  Prosperity,  and  Plenty. 

The  panel  of  Minerva,  executed  in  mosaic,  on  the  staircase 
landing,  gives  a  much  more  just  idea  of  the  artist's  abilities. 
Admitting  that  the  ideal  qualities  of  beauty  and  strength  have 
escaped  Mr.  Vedder's  grasp  on  this  occasion,  yet  the  series  is 
so  excellent  as  a  piece  of  pure  decoration,  well  understood,  dig- 
nified, harmonious,  that  the  critical  spirit  is  torn  between  the 
knowledge  that  it  falls  short  of  the  full  measure  that  the  artist 
can  give  and  admiration  for  its  many  perfections.  It  con- 
tributes materially  to  the  beautifying  of  the  Library,  to  the 
interest  excited  by  the  mural  paintings,  and  to  the  high  rank 
maintained  by  the  best  of  them ;  and  it  is  safe  to  predict 
that,  whatever  alterations  will  be  made  in  time  in  the  original 
decorations,  when  the  sensational,  the  trivial,  and  the  weak  will 
be  swept  away,  the  lobby  will  not,  for  artistic  reasons,  require 
another  treatment,  but  will  be  held  in  honour  as  long  as  any  of 
the  work  now  existing  is  preserved. 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


The  inclusion  of  Mr.  Vedder  amongst  the  Library  painters 
was  a  fine  thought  on  the  part  of  the  architect ;  and  we  are 
fortunate  in  possessing  these  examples  of  his  handiwork  in 
a  public  place,  where  they  can  be  seen  by  all. 

The  interest  of  the  whole  Library  centres  in  the  rotunda. 
And  the  dome  which  is  decorated  by  Edwin  Blashfield  was  the 


Copyright,  1896,  by  Elihu  Vedder.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1896,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 


GOOD  ADMINISTRATION.    By  ELIHU  VEDDER. 

position  of  greatest  honour  in  the  gift  of  the  architect  that 
could  be  offered  a  mural  painter  for  the  display  of  his  talents. 
Although  the  task  was  a  most  difficult  one,  owing  to  the  lav- 
ish ornament  of  the  great  room  and  the  richness  of  the  col- 
oured marbles,  the  toning  and  the  gilding,  which  combine  to 
make  its  magnificent  effect,  yet  Mr.  Blashfield's  designs  are  so 
nobly  planned  that  they  give  the  last  touch  of  finish  and  refine- 
ment, and  are  a  most  fitting  crowning  ornament  to  the  majestic 
lines  of  the  architecture  and  splendid  ensemble  of  colour.  The 

196 


THE    LIBRARY    OF  CONGRESS 


subjects  represented  are :  The  Human  Understanding  in  the 
crown  of  the  lantern ;  and  the  Evolution  of  Civilisation 
around  the  collar  of  the  dome,  which  is  twelve  feet  high  and 
about  one  hundred  and  forty  feet  in  circumference,  and  is  at  a 
height  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  from  the  floor. 
The  painting  was  done  in  place. 


Copyright,  1806,  by  Elihu  Vedder.  From  a  Copley  I'rint.    Copyright,  1S76,  by  Curtis  ft 


GOVERNMENT.    Bt  ELIHU  VEDDER. 

The  circular  ceiling  shows  a  composition  of  three  figures 
against  a  soft,  cloudy  sky.  One,  a  woman,  is  lifting  a  veil  from 
her  beautiful  intellectual  face:  she  gazes  upwards,  and  seems  to 
be  slowly  passing  into  infinite  space.  Two  nude  boys  float  be- 
side her,  one  holding  a  closed  book,  the  other  beckoning  to  the 
figures  below.  The  elusive,  spirituclle  feeling  of  this  group 
makes  it  seem  like  the  floating  vision  of  a  poetic  dream,  while 
the  painting  below  has  the  strength  and  force  of  definite 
achievement. 

197 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


There  are  twelve  seated  figures,  the  primary  objects  of  interest 
in  a  design  composed  of  many  elements,  that  are  combined 
with  a  certain  formality,  and  constructed  into  an  unbroken  ring 
of  colour  and  form.  The  centre  of  each  quarter  of  the  space  is 
marked  by  a  figure  clad  principally  in  white,  drawn  in  full 


Copyright,  1896,  by  E.  H.  Blashfield. 

DETAILS  from  THE  EVOLUTION  OF  CIVILISATION. 

face  and  very  erect  posture.  The  lines  of  those  on  either  side 
lean  toward  it,  and  they  are  a  little  subordinated  by  the  lower 
tones  in  which  their  garments  are  painted.  At  equal  distances 
between  the  seats  are  cartouches  upon  which  are  printed  the 
names  of  the  epochs  or  countries  to  which  the  civilisation  of 
the  world  is  owing,  and  banderoles  run  belowr  them,  explain- 
ing the  nature  of  the  service.  Where  the  background  ap- 
pears, it  is  laid  in  a  mosaic  pattern;  but  most  of  it  is  covered 
between  and  below  the  figures  by  the  objects  mentioned,  and 
above  by  the  large  wThite  wings  that  give  an  element  of  the 

198 


THE    LIBRARY    OF  CONGRESS 


ideal  to  the  band  of  fair  women  and  strong  men,  the  pinions 
overlapping  each  other  making  a  broad  sweep  of  white.  Even 
when  the  various  attributes  grouped  with  each  personage  are 
taken  into  consideration,  there  is  no  confusion  or  crowding : 
nothing  obtrudes.   The  eyes  follow  around  the  circle,  not  know- 


From  Copley  Prints.    Copyright,  ti*)~,  by  Curtis  \-  Can 
By  EDWIN  H   I'.I.ASH FIELD. 


ing  where  to  stop,  so  artfully  is  the  composition  woven  to- 
gether. 

Taking  the  central  figures  of  each  quarter  circle,  with  the 
words  upon  the  banderoles  included  in  parentheses,  in  chro- 
nological order,  Egypt — Written  Records  —  comes  first.  His 
bronze  shoulders  and  limbs  are  bare,  his  strong  typical  face  is 
framed  in  the  familiar  ancient  head-dress  of  striped  material, 
he  holds  the  sign  of  immortality  and  a  tablet  inscribed  with 
hieroglyphics.  On  his  right  is  .America, —  Science, —  a  working- 
man  with  a  dynamo,  who  brings  the  series  to  an  end;  on  his 

199 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


left,  Judea, —  Religion, —  with  hands  uplifted  in  an  attitude  of 
prayer.  Rome  —  Administration — marks  the  next  curve,  a 
powerful  soldier,  leaning  upon  a  bundle  of  fasces,  with  the  baton 
of  command  in  his  hand.  To  the  right  is  Greece, —  Philos- 
ophy,—  with  lamp  and  scroll;  to  the  left  Islam, —  Physics, — 
reading  from  a  book,  with  his  foot  resting  upon  a  glass  retort. 
Beyond  is  the  very  lovely  Italy, —  The  Pine  Arts, —  whose  face 
was  drawn  from  Mary  Anderson  Navarro.  She  sits  with  brush 
and  palette  in  her  hands,  and  a  violin  and  a  statuette  of 
Michael  Angelo's  David  on  a  pedestal  beside  her.  On  her 
right  is  the  Middle  Ages, —  Modern  Languages;  on  her  left, 
Germany, —  The  Art  of  Printing,  The  head  of  the  inventor 
is  a  portrait  of  General  Thomas  Lincoln  Casey.  This  brings 
around  the  last  trio,  distinguished  by  England, —  Literature, — 
a  most  graceful  likeness  of  Ellen  Terry.  A  large  volume  is 
held  open  upon  her  knees,  showing  the  title-page  of  the  first 
edition  of  A  Midsummer  Nighfs  Dream.  To  the  right  is 
Spain, —  The  Discoverer, —  a  bold  buccaneer,  with  a  model  of  a 
caravel  at  his  feet;  to  the  left,  France, —  Emancipation, —  sit- 
ting upon  a  cannon,  holding  out  the  proclamation  of  Les  droits 
de  rhomme.  The  tone  throughout  is  kept  very  light.  Masses  of 
white,  bluish-green,  and  violet  predominate ;  and,  though  there 
is  a  good  deal  of  variety  in  the  colour  of  the  draperies,  these 
are  used  with  a  harmony  that  makes  the  composition  tell  dis- 
tinctly and  with  breadth  at  whatever  distance  it  is  viewed. 


200 


Copyright,  1896,  by  Robevt  Reid.  From  Copley  Prints.    Copyright,  1899,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 

THE  FIVE  SENSES.    By  ROBERT  REID. 


XI.    THE    LIBRARY  OF 

CONGRESS.  Conclusion. 


The  second  floor  staircase  corridors  are  loftier  and  more 
richly  adorned  than  those  of  the  first ;  and  round,  octagon,  and 
oblong  panels  take  the  place  of  the  unvarying  tympanums  of 
the  lower  story.  In  the  North  Corridor,  Robert  Reid's  five 
octagons  in  the  ceiling  show  The  Senses,  under  the  guise  of 
graceful  young  women,  with  slender  figures  and  long  limbs. 
Their  pretty  faces  are  distinctly  modern  in  type,  and  their  care- 
lessly arranged  draperies  suggest  very  aesthetic  neglige-es. 

They  lounge  in  easy  attitudes:  Taste  drinking  from  a 
shell;  Sight  gazing  at  her  image  in  a  small  mirror,  a  peacock, 
whose  great  tail  falls  to  her  feet,  preening  himself  over  her 
shoulder;  Smell,  a  luxuriant  beauty  resting  by  a  bank  of  lilies 
and  roses,  her  face  half  buried  in  a  large  flower,  another  in  her 
hair  showing  coquettishly  behind  her  ear;  Hearings  listening  to 
the  sound  held  in  a  sea-shell;  and  Feelings  watching  a  butterfly 
flit  delicately  along  her  extended  arm. 

The  four  circular  panels  on  the  wall  continue  these  gay  and 
pleasing  images  ;  and,  though  the  slightness  of  the  painting, 
which  is  fairly  tantalising  in  its  half-suggestion,  is  to  be 
regretted,  yet  the  ability  with  which  the  artist  has  composed 
each  figure  or  half-figure  in  the  space,  his  charming,  if  elusive, 
scheme  of  colour,  and  the  decorative  aims  to  which  he  has  sub- 
ordinated all  other  interests  make  the  series  one  of  artistic 
value. 

The  passage  allotted  to  Walter  Shirlaw  gave  him  eight 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


large  panels  in  the  spandrels  of  the  arches,  in  which  he  has 
placed  full-length  female  figures  considerably  over  life-size. 


Copyright,  1896,  by  Walter  Shirlaw.  From  Copley  Prints.    Copyright,  1899,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 

PHYSICS  and  BOTANY.    By  WALTER  SHIRLAW. 


Here,  as  always,  Mr.  Shirlaw  is  thoroughly  serious  and  earnest, 
and  with  his  well-known  manner  of  working  with  large  sweep- 
ing lines  and  highly  developed  forms  has  produced  designs 
that  are  powerful  and  sculpturesque.  The  Sciences  are  repre- 
sented with  regard  to  the  building  up  of  images  that  shall  in 

204 


T  HE    LIBRARY    OF  CONGRESS 


each  case  be  suited  to  the  subject,  this  depending  more  on  the 
character  of  every  detail,  than  on  the  types  and  expressions  of 
the  faces,  though  these  are  never  out  of  keeping.  The  paint- 
ing of  Zoology  is  marked  by  a  feeling  of  animal  strength  and 
leonine  ruggedness.  The  symbolical  figure  is  of  ponderous 
mould :  she  has  the  skin  of  a  wild  beast  drawn  over  her  hair, 
which  descends  to  form  her  sole  garment,  and  is  holding  an 
enormous  lion  by  his  mane.  Physics  carries  a  flaming  torch 
and  stands  in  a  springing  attitude,  which  the  lines  of  her 
flowing  drapery  accentuate.  Mathematics,  only  partly  draped, 
is  drawn  with  severe  outlines,  all  curves  and  sweeping  lines 
being  combined  to  an  angular  precision.  Botany  stands  upon 
a  lily  pad,  and  the  long  stems  of  the  flowers  that  she  holds 
against  her  bosom  twine  around  her  body.  Her  garments  are 
suggestive  of  the  form  of  a  half-opened  flower.  The  same 
thoughtful  spirit  which  animates  these  examples,  runs  through 
the  whole  work. 

The  colour  is  more  restrained  than  is  usual  with  Mr. 
Shirlaw,  whose  fondness  for  mellow  tones  often  leads  to  an 
effect  that  is  unpleasantly  hot;  and,  wherever  possible,  hues 
bearing  a  resemblance  to  those  connected  with  Hie  science 
have  been  chosen.  While  making  the  panels  the  central  point 
of  interest,  their  harmonious  relation  with  their  environment 
has  been  exceedingly  well  considered. 

In  the  East  Corridor  the  paintings  are  by  George  Barse,  Jr. 

The  decorations  by  Frank  Benson,  in  the  fourth  hallway, 
are  in  rondels  and  octagons,  similar  to  those  signed  by  Mr. 
Reid,  save  that  a  difference  in  the  ornament  of  the  ceiling 
allows  only  three  instead  of  five  panels.  The  series  is  indeed 
one  of  the  brightest  among  the  groups  of  stars  that  make  the 
glory  of  the  Library. 

205 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


The  Graces  are  shown  in  the  ceiling.  Entirely  free  from 
any  binding  traditions  of  classicism,  the  three  simple  white-clad 
figures  tell  with  distinct  picturesqueness  in  the  completely 
charming  landscape  in  which  they  are  placed.  Each  canvas 
is  done  with  the  indescribable  distinction  that  lies  in  the  artist's 
style,  which  combines  with  the  first  impression  of  breadth  and 
boldness  a  remarkable  refinement  of  both  colour  and  form, 


Copyright,  1896,  by  F.  W.  Benson.  From  Copley  Prints.    Copyright,  1897,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 


AGLAIA  and  THALIA  (Panels).    By  FRANK  W.  BENSON. 

* 

and  allows  him  to  present  his  feminine  creations  with  striking 
personalities,  and  yet  dowered  with  the  subtle  charm  that  is 
as  distinctly  the  attribute  of  certain  lovely  women  as  the  per- 
fume that  belongs  to  flowers. 

Aglaia,  Thalia,  and  Euphrosyne  are  pleasant  names  to  be 
given  to  young  maidens  who  wander  abroad  with  crooks,  lyres, 
and  mirrors ;  but  these  delicate  figures  have  clearly  been  in- 
spired by  high-bred  American  girls,  whose  beauty  is  as  much 
intellectual  as  physical.    They  are  recognisable  portraits  of 

206 


THE    LIBRARY    OF  CONGRESS 


well-known  types,  belonging  to  the  class  to  which  is  due  the 
wide-spread  fame  of  the  attractiveness  of  our  countrywomen. 
It  seems  astonishing  that  our  artists,  surrounded  as  they  are  by 
lovely  faces  and  forms  that  are  the  admiration  of  the  world, 
rarely  seem  to  have  noticed  them,  but  repeat  formal  types  and 
the  faces  of  studio-beauties  common  the  world  over.  And  we 
are  therefore  the  more  indebted  to  Mr.  Benson  for  his  presen- 


Copyri^ht,  i8y6,  by  K.  W.  Benson.  From  C  opley  Prints     Copyright,  1S17,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 


SPRING  and  WINTER  (Panels).    Bv  PRANK  W.  BENSON. 

tation  of  these  fine  and  distinguished  likenesses  of  contempo- 
rary womanhood. 

The  half-figures  in  the  circles  are  rendered  in  the  same 
spirit:  Winter^  with  her  wind-blown  hair;  Autumn,  standing 
before  a  lowering  sky  and  bare  landscape ;  Summer,  flower- 
crowned  and  flower-laden, framed  in  branches;  loveliest  Sp ring, 
as  dainty  as  the  rosebud  she  holds  in  her  fingers. 

George  W.  Maynard's  panels  at  the  ends  of  the  hall  are  also 
important  factors  in  the  decorative  ensemble.    There  are  eight 

207 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


in  all,  Fortitude,  Justice,  Patriotism,  Courage,  Temperance,  Pru- 
dence, ludtistry,  and  Concord  being  represented  by  elegant  and 
graceful  figures  painted  on  flat  backgrounds  in  the  artist's 
characteristic  Pompeian  style,  which  has  frequently  had  appre- 
ciative mention  in  the  course  of  this  volume. 

The  gallery  that  contains  the  lunettes  The  Arts  and  The 
Sciences  by  Kenyon  Cox  is  designed  for  museum  purposes,  and  is 
suitably  plain  in  design,  with  rows  of  windows  set  as  closely 
together  as  possible  along  its  length  to  admit  a  powerful  stream 
of  light.  In  such  an  illuminated  interior  it  is  difficult  to  keep 
decorations  from  looking  dark  and  spotty ;  but  Mr.  Cox  has 
avoided  this  by  painting  in  a  very  high  key,  with  extremely 
light  shadows, —  a  scheme  which,  in  the  hands  of  one  less  skil- 
ful technically,  would  have  been  formless  and  tame. 

The  compositions  are  distinctly  formal,  each  showing  five 
adults  and  three  children,  arranged  in  three  groups.  The  cen- 
tral figure  is  seated  upon  a  throne  with  two  attendant  boys  be- 
fore her.  They  are  separated  from  the  others  by  flaming  tri- 
pods that  are  placed  just  above  the  pilasters  on  the  walls,  and 
carry  on  their  lines.  In  the  lunette  called  The  Arts  the  en- 
throned Poetry  holds  a  lyre  and  gazes  upwards.  The  two  nude 
children  on  the  steps  at 'her  feet  are  drawn  with  masterly  knowl- 
edge of  the  construction  of  youthful  bodies,  and  the  grace  and 
beauty  that  belongs  to  the  age.  On  the  right  Sculpture  and 
Painting  lean  against  each  other  in  sisterly  attitudes.  On  the 
left  are  Architecture  and  Music,  the  latter  playing  the  violin. 
The  nobility  of  her  face,  her  fine  pose,  and  the  interesting 
arrangement  of  her  drapery  make  her  a  notable  figure.  A 
child  kneels  before  her,  holding  the  music  book  from  which 
she  reads. 


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THE    LIBRARY    OF  CONGRESS 


The  necessity  of  using  much  white  in  the  colour  to  attain 
the  high  key  desired,  has  not,  as  is  too  often  the  case,  cheap- 
ened the  tones  beyond  artistic  limits;  and  the  pale  sky  and  the 
delicate  rose-yellow  of  several  hues,  and  terra-cotta,  employed 
here,  as  well  as  the  blues  and  greens  in  the  companion  painting, 
are  in  harmony  with  the  tone  of  the  room  and  distinguished 
ornaments  of  it.  In  the  lunette  The  Sciences,  Astronomy,  in  the 
centre,  leans  forward  with  a  compass  in  her  hand  to  measure  a 
celestial  globe  that  is  held  by  another  of  the  artist's  band  of 
beautiful  children  ;  another  child  is  looking  through  a  telescope. 
In  the  right-hand  group  Botany,  clad  in  a  tight-fitting  gown 
of  green  and  gold  brocade,  holds  a  large  oak  branch  ;  Zoology, 
seen  in  back  view,  petting  a  peacock,  is  one  of  the  most  charm- 
ing that  Mr.  Cox  has  ever  designed.  It  is  balanced  by  Physics 
and  Mathematics,  the  latter  teaching  a  child  who  leans  against 
her  knees. 

In  another  gallery,  constructed  on  similar  lines,  Gari 
Melchers's  lunettes  of  /V*7*r  and  Jl'ar  :x\c  seen.  The  latter  calls 
to  mind  the  artists  treatment  of  the  same  subject  at  the  Co- 
lumbian Exposition.  The  second  essay  is  a  most  creditable 
development.  The  figures  are  more  solidly  drawn  and  more 
pleasing  in  colour,  and  their  arrangement  is  better.  Peace 
shows  a  religious  procession  that  has  halted  in  a  light  wood, 
while  the  priest,  at  the  head  of  it,  is  reading  some  ritual  for 
the  occasion.  A  small  image  of  the  goddess,  who  is  the  ob- 
ject of  devotion,  is  borne  aloft  on  the  shoulders  of  her  devo- 
tees;  and  others  of  the  train  carry  votive  offerings  and  lead  a 
bull  decked  with  garlands  for  the  sacrifice.  The  costumes  sue;- 
gest  a  very  early  classic  period.  Each  figure  is  drawn  with  a 
regard  for  distinct  character,  and  the  impression  is  a  pictur- 
esque one. 

2I3 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


War  teems  with  vigorous  action.  The  dogs  of  war  strain  in 
their  collars.  Horsemen,  with  stern,  set  faces,  press  their  steeds 
to  great  exertions,  trampling  the  dead  and  dying  under  their 
hoofs.  The  body  of  a  dead  warrior  is  carried  on  a  litter,  and 
a  crowd  of  foot  soldiers  hasten  along.  The  feeling  proper  to 
the  two  subjects  is  expressed  in  this  admirable  contrast ;  and 
Mr.  Melchers's  method  of  painting  in  broad  flat  tones,  which  is 
rather  suggestive  of  fresco  work,  upon  which  it  is  probably 
modelled,  makes  an  effective  decoration. 

The  four  pavilions  by  George  W.  Maynard,  Robert  L. 
Dodge,  William  B.  Van  Ingen,  with  Elmer  E.  Garnsey,  and 
William  De  L.  Dodge,  suffer  from  the  very  awkward  shape 
of  the  four  tympanums  which  surmount  their  walls,  these  being 
exceedingly  long  and  quite  low  at  the  greatest  height, —  trying 
proportions  to  fill  in  an  artistic  manner. 

Mr.  Maynard  on  this  occasion  has  replaced  his  favourite 
style  by  one  suggestive  of  heraldic  designing.  The  same  compo- 
sition is  repeated  in  each  arch,  three  female  figures  drawn  with 
much  richness  of  details  and  accessories  being  placed  in  the 
centre,  with  smaller  figures  or  objects  of  interest  in  the  ex- 
treme corners.  The  distance  between  is  filled  with  the  names 
of  celebrated  men  connected  with  Advenhire,  Discovery,  Con- 
quest, and  Civilisation,  the  subjects  represented.  Despite  the 
elaborateness  of  the  effort,  the  design  of  the  ceiling  is  quite 
wonderfully  so.  The  achievement  is  not  one  to  raise  the  esti- 
mate of  the  artist's  talents.  One  misses  the  elegance  and  gra- 
cious dignity  of  his  simpler  work. 

Robert  L.  Dodge  follows  a  somewhat  similar  method  of  de- 
sign. 

The  compositions  depicting  the  Departments  of  the  Gov- 

214 


THE    LIBRARY    OF  CONGRESS 


ernmcnt,  in  the  pavilion  allotted  to  William  B.  Van  Ingen,  as 
well  as  his  panels  Z,'  Allegro  and  //  Pcnseroso,  placed  near  the 
entrance  to  the  rotunda,  succeed  by  their  notable  colour  qual- 
ity. The  former  seems  rather  an  appalling  collection  of  sub- 
jects, but  the  artist  has  treated  them  in  a  novel  and  interesting 

21 5 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


manner.  A  large  circular  tablet  in  the  centre  of  each  space 
permits  two  distinct  groups,  which  make  a  decidedly  aesthetic 


Copyright,  1896,  by  William  De  L.  Dodge. 


AMBITION  (Ceiling).    By  WILLIAM  De  L.  DODGE. 

impression,  the  figures  of  women  are  handsome,  and  the  intro- 
duction of  national  monuments  and  buildings  gives  interest 
to  the  backgrounds.  The  employment  of  full  deep  tones,  the 
massing  of  warm  shadows,  and  the  clear  brilliant  lights  make 

216 


THE    LIBRARY    OF  CONGRESS 


the  walls  glow  with  pure,  radiant  colour,  amid  which  the  hues 
of  violet,  rose,  and  green  are  recalled  as  having  special  beauty. 

The  room  also  has  a  ceiling  disk  by  Mr.  Garnsey  that 
is  an  exquisite  piece  of  conventional  decoration. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  at  the  Columbian  Exposition 
William  De  L.  Dodge  painted  an  enormous  composition  that 
was  remarkable  for  spirit ;  and,  working  in  this  smaller  space, 
he  shows  the  same  vigour  and  energy.  He  has  scattered  ideas 
with  a  liberal  hand,  and  the  tympanums  Literature,  Music, 
Science,  and  Art  are  filled  with  a  number  of  figures.  These, 
however,  are  secondary  in  interest  to  the  striking  painting  of 
Ambition,  which  adorns  the  ceiling.  Here  there  are  two 
groups  arranged  at  the  edges  of  a  circular  sky.  One  shows  a 
nude  woman,  who  holds  aloft  a  crown.  She  rides  upon  a  great 
winged  horse  :  his  bridle  is  held  by  another  woman,  blowing  a 
trumpet.  The  three  are  drawn  in  the  most  violent  perspective, 
as  if  they  were  seen  from  below,  careering  through  the  air.  An 
enormous  drapery  floating  from  the  horse  connects  them  with 
the  lower  group  of  dissatisfied  seekers  after  the  glittering 
crown  of  ambition, —  men  and  women  with  hands  outstretched 
trying  to  snatch  the  bauble  held  beyond  their  reach.  Their 
bodies  are  contorted  with  passion.  One  lies  dead  :  the  last  of 
all  is  a  jester  with  his  cap  and  bells. 

As  one  after  another  the  different  subjects  of  this  review 
have  been  passed  in  order,  the  conviction  has  deepened  that 
their  value  in  forming  together  a  representative  exhibition  of 
the  art  of  our  time  cannot  be  overestimated.  The  place  is 
one  to  call  up  serious  thoughts,  not  only  of  the  present  and  its 
conditions,  but  of  the  possibilities  that  lie  in  the  future.  In 
a  great  national  monument  like  this  it  may  be  confidently 

217 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


expected  that  the  noble  achievements  of  artists  yet  unborn 
will  be  gradually  gathered,  until  the  steps  of  a  long  and  honour- 
able artistic  history  may  be  seen  in  its  rooms  and  corridors. 
Any  part  of  the  original  decoration  that  is  too  poor  or  feeble 
to  stand  the  final  test  that  time  alone  can  give,  will  soon  be 
swept  away  and  replaced  ;  but  much  is  worthy  to  remain, — 
a  permanent  exposition  which  will  tell  greatly  to  the  credit  of 
the  painters  of  the  last  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century. 


218 


XII.  THE  APPELLATE  COURTS 
BUILDING,  NEW  YORK 


When  engaged  upon  the  building  of  this  edifice,  the  archi- 
tect, James  Brown  Lord,  met  the  overtures  of  the  Society  of 
Mural  Painters  in  a  friendly  spirit,  as  has  been  said,*  and  ac- 
cepted the  offer  of  advice  concerning  the  decorations.  Joseph 
Lauber,  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Civic  Buildings,  who 
had  zealously  advanced  the  matter  and  was  one  of  the  artists 
engaged  to  decorate  the  court-room,  has  given  the  following 
interesting  account  of  the  first  steps  taken  in  the  co-operation. 

"  A  programme  for  the  decoration  of  that  building  was  pre- 
pared by  the  Committee,  approved  by  the  Society,  and  adopted 
by  the  architect  and  the  Building  Committee,  and  made  part 
of  the  specifications  under  which  it  was  constructed,  with  but 
slight  modifications. 

"  The  principal  conditions  of  the  programme  may  be  sum- 
marised as  follows:  that  the  artists  chosen  for  the  work  should 
form  a  committee,  meet  and  formulate  a  general  scheme  of 
decoration,  each  submitting  a  rough  draft  of  his  portion  of  the 
work  ;  the  artists  then  to  receive  the  commission  to  execute  a 
sketch  in  colour  at  a  scale  agreed  upon,  this  scale  to  be  ad- 
hered to  by  all  concerned.  The  sketches  to  be  finished  at  a 
given  date  and  passed  on  by  the  Committee  together  with  the 
architect  and  such  arbiter  as  they  may  choose.  If  any  artist 
failed  or  proved  unwilling  to  adopt  the  suggestions  of  the 
majority  in  regard  to  alterations  in  the  interest  of  an  harmo- 
nious scheme,  he  was  to  retire,  and  another  chosen  in  his 

♦See  Chapter  VIII. 
219 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


place.  Similar  conditions  were  to  prevail  during  the  progress 
of  the  work,  decided  differences  of  opinion  being  submitted  to 
the  arbiter  whose  decision  was  to  be  final.  After  the  work  was 
placed,  each  man  was  to  be  given  time  to  harmonise  his  work 
with  the  room.    The  conditions  of  the  programme  affected 


Copyright,  1899,  by  H.  Siddons  Mowbray.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1900,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 


DETAIL  from  THE  TRANSMISSION  OF  THE  LAW.    By  H.  SIDDONS  MOWBRAY. 

equally  the  members  of  the  Society  engaged  in  the  work  as 
well  as  non-members.  .  .  . 

..."  The  painters  ...  at  their  first  meeting  chose  the 
Nestor  of  the  profession,  John  La  Farge,  as  their  referee  or 
arbiter.  The  artist  selected  by  the  architect  to  design  and 
execute  the  windows  and  dome  light  was  placed  under  obliga- 
tions to  confer  with  the  confreres  of  the  brush ;  and  the  archi- 
tect also  invited  suggestions  from  those  whose  work  adjoined 
the  ceiling,  which  was  executed  entirely  under  his  direction." 


220 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


The  result  challenges  our  respect  for  the  principles  on  which 
the  plan  was  based.  The  work  of  ten  artists  in  the  small 
space  of  two  rooms  might  have  produced  the  impression  of  a 
picture  exhibition,  where  the  canvases  expressing  individual 
intentions,  and  painted  for  these  ends  alone,  are  in  the  utmost 
discord  when  grouped  together  and  annihilate  each  other's 
beauties.  The  needs  of  the  business  of  the  court  and  the  ap- 
propriations made  for  the  house  defined  the  extent  of  its  pro- 
portions ;  and  Mr.  Lord  built  a  very  dignified,  three-story  mar- 
ble structure  in  the  free  classic  style  upon  the  not  very  large  lot 
purchased  for  the  purpose.  The  exterior  is  adorned  with  some 
fine  sculptured  groups  and  figures  by  Daniel  Chester  French, 
Philip  Martiny,  J.  Scott  Hartley,  Herbert  Adams,  and  others; 
and  in  the  interior,  which  is  a  model  of  convenience,  a  great  deal 
of  attention  was  paid  to  finishing  the  well-proportioned  rooms 
in  the  best  possible  taste. 

Although  the  entrance-hall  and  court-room,  where  the  mural 
paintings  are  massed,  cannot  rival,  in  proportions  or  display, 
many  of  the  apartments  in  the  ambitious  buildings  mentioned 
in  this  volume,  they  have  a  distinction  which  is  something  finer 
than  the  regal  magnificence  that  is  dependent  upon  an  extrav- 
agant outlay.  The  materials  used  are  very  rich,  indeed  ;  but 
the  richness  is  not  conspicuous;  it  is  lost  in  the  impression  of 
completeness  and  distinguished  elegance  that  carries  the  con- 
viction that  we  are  beginning  to  take  even  our  magnificence 
easily. 

The  hallway  is  light  and  warm  in  tone,  being  lined  with 
yellow  marble  from  the  mosaic  floor  up  to  the  line  of  the  frieze, 
which  is  about  four  feet  in  height,  and  runs  around  three 
sides ;  the  ceiling  is  modelled  in  heavy  relief,  gilded  in  two 

222 


APPELLATE    COURTS  BUILDING 


.  shades  of  gold.  The  most  notable  feature  here  —  which  is  not 
surpassed  by  any  performance  of  the  band  of  painters —  is 
The  Transmission  of  tlie  Laiu,  by  H.  Siddons  Mowbray,  which 
passes  around  the  elevator  shaft  and  the  walls  of  the  staircases  on 
either  side.  It  may  be  seen  plainly  that  the  artist's  intention 
has  been  to  make  a  beautiful  band  of  ornament,  that  would 
tell  in  a  distinctly  decorative  way.  He  has  used  with  most  in- 
teresting effect  the  word  lex,  printed  in  large  gilt  letters  upon 
a  dark  blue  background ;  and  across  this  deep  tone  are  placed 
a  rhythmic  line  of  figures,  in  groups  that  typify  different 
periods  of  the  law,  and  lovely  winged  maidens  that  symbolise 
its  transmission  from  century  to  century. 

The  drawing  is  of  the  utmost  delicacy,  and  the  symbolical 
women  are  exquisitely  refined  types.  A  good  deal  of  low-toned 
white,  both  in  their  outstretched  pinions  and  in  the  marble 
seats,  pillars,  and  thrones  between  them,  break  up  the  solid 
blue.  The  drapery  colours  are  pure  and  fresh  without  being 
bright,  r.nd  are  rather  flatly  painted;  and  the  modelling  is  in  a 
low  relief.  From  end  to  end  not  one  discordant  note  breaks 
the  subtle  aesthetic  harmony. 

The  different  periods  of  Mosaic,  Egyptian,  Greek,  Roman, 
Byzantine,  Norman,  Common,  and  Modern  Law,  are  each 
made  the  subject  of  a  little  composition,  which  is  very  inter- 
esting, even  when  considered  apart  from  its  fellows.  For  the 
keynote  here  is,  that  every  part,  though  subordinate  to  the  gen- 
eral effect,  shall  be  absolutely  perfect  in  itself.  The  Roman 
law-giver  is  seated  upon  a  throne  of  polished  variegated  marble. 
A  red  mantle  is  draped  about  his  athletic  figure  :  he  wears 
a  richly  chased  corselet,  and  holds  a  sword  and  ball,  beside 
him  stands  a  soldier,  helmetecl,  and  with  shield  and  standard. 


^5 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


The  Byzantine  figures  are  drawn  with  all  the  delightful  naivete 
that  charms  us  in  the  paintings  and  mosaics  of  the  period. 
The  standing  figure  of  the  priest,  with  shaven  head,  his  green 
gown  bordered  with  a  broad  conventionalized  pattern,  and  his 
golden  stole  embroidered  in  a  fine  design,  might  have  stepped 
from  the  pages  of  an  early  Christian  missal.  The  Greeks,  wise 
elderly  men,  are  grouped  against  the  base  of  two  supporting 
columns.    A  statue  of  Pallas  Athene  stands  between  them. 

And  so  one  set  of  forms  succeeds  another,  connected  by  the 
graceful  female  figures,  whose  wings  break  across  the  upper 
part  of  the  canvas,  carrying  on  the  lines  from  one  group  to  the 
next. 

Robert  Reid's  frieze,  on  the  right  hand  side,  is  a  very  suc- 
cessful piece  of  decoration.  In  the  large  division,  Justice  is 
represented,  supported  by  the  Guardians  of  the  Law,  the  one 
on  the  left  with  a  sword,  the  one  on  the  right  with  the  fasces, 
giving  Peace  and  Prosperity  to  the  Arts  and  Sciences.  In 
the  colour  scheme  masses  of  a  clear  lovely  blue  are  notable, 
lightened  with  warm  whites,  and  with  just  the  needed  emphasis 
of  darker  shades  and  contrasting  tones.  This  harmonises  most 
pleasingly  with  the  surrounding  yellow  of  the  marble  and  the 
gilded  ceiling,  much  white,  blue,  green,  and  violet  being 
mingled  in  the  draperies  of  the  figures,  that  radiate  from  the 
central  group  of  three  women :  Justice  upon  her  throne,  with 
a  great  book  on  her  knees,  and  an  ermine  mantle  of  most 
royal  fulness  sweeping  from  her  dainty  shoulders  to  the  floor, 
disclosing  her  fair  neck  and  brocaded  gown ;  and  her  com- 
panions who  sit  below  her,  one  holding  a  babe,  the  other  with 
a  large  cornucopia, —  their  great  white  wings  nearly  meeting 
above  their  heads.    Mr.  Reid  has  given  a  certain  elegance  to 

226 


APPELLATE    COURTS  BUILDING 


all  the  women's  figures  by  making  them  exceedingly  tall,  with 
small  heads  and  slender  throats.  Drama  holding  a  mask,  and 
Music  leaning  against  a  harp,  are  especially  charming.  The 
same  scheme  of  colour  is  continued  in  the  panel  on  the 
southern  wall,  where  Poetry,  Painting,  Sculpture,  Architecture^ 
and  Fame  are  symbolised. 

Mr.  Turner's  Law  and  Equity,  above  the  entrance  doors, 
are  not  so  advantageously  placed  or  lighted  as  one  would  wish 
to  see  the  work  of  this  able  artist.  Each  panel  shows  a  winged 
female  standing  erect,  with  one  hand  upraised,  in  an  attitude  of 
great  dignity,  a  nude  child  sits  at  her  feet.  The  treatment 
is  restrained  to  create  an  intelligent  decorative  effect,  and  the 
colouring  is  full  and  varied. 

The  frieze  on  the  left,  by  Willard  L.  Metcalf,  occupying  the 
space  similar  to  Mr.  Reid's, —  with  its  dramatic  and  realistic 
tendencies,  suffers  by  contrast  with  the  rest  of  the  room ;  but 
the  standard  set  is  so  very  high  that  it  would  be  impossible  for 
every  one  to  reach  it.  And  this,  we  believe,  was  Mr.  Metcalf's 
first  attempt  at  decoration,  or,  at  any  rate,  on  such  an  ambitious 
scale. 

The  court-room  opening  out  to  the  right  is  distinctly  im- 
pressive in  character.  It  is  also  wainscoted  with  Siena  marble 
divided  by  pilasters  with  bronze  gold  capitals,  and  is  lighted 
by  a  dome  and  windows  of  pale  green  and  opal  glass,  the  work 
of  Maitland  Armstrong  &  Company.  The  ornamental  ceiling 
is  also  richly  gilded.  The  architect's  distinguished  judgment 
has  been  shown  in  making  the  whole  ornament  of  the  room 
centre  upon  its  legal  character.  The  frieze  takes  its  ordinary 
place  in  the  architectural  design  upon  three  sides  of  the  room  ; 
but  upon  the  east  wall  the  marble  is  reduced  to  a  low  wain- 


«7 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


scot  admitting  three  large,  almost  square  panels,  placed  side  by 
side,  wherein  the  beautiful  paintings  by  Edward  Simmons, 
Edwin  H.  Blashfield,  and  Henry  Oliver  Walker  confront  the 
Justice's  bench  with  a  dignity  that  pervades  the  entire  apart- 
ment. And  what  a  marvellous  seat  of  justice  it  is  that  they 
face, —  a  great  mass  of  black  oak  richly  carved  over  dais  and 
benches,  with  a  magnificent  screen  to  match  rising  behind,  and 
covering  the  wall  to  the  frieze. 

Mr.  Walker's  composition  occupies  the  middle  place ; 
across  the  top  of  the  background  is  printed: 

DOTH  NOT  WISDOM  CRY 
AND  UNDERSTANDING  PUT  FORTH  HER  VOICE 
BY  ME  PRINCES  RULE  AND  NOBLES 
EVEN  ALL  THE  JUDGES   OF  THE  EARTH 

And,  beneath  it  on  the  painted  border  which  surrounds  the 
canvas  is 

WISDOM 

ATTENDED  BY  LEARNING  EXPERIENCE  HUMILITY  AND  LOVE 
AND   BY   FAITH   PATIENCE  DOUBT  AND  INSPIRATION 

Mr.  Walker,  as  has  been  said  before  when  considering  his 
series  in  the  Congressional  Library,  succeeds  by  an  individual 
charm,  by  elevated  sentiment  and  poetic  feeling.  The  size  of 
the  canvas  under  discussion  was  rather  a  strain  upon  his  sim- 
ple methods ;  yet  the  subject  is  carried  out  with  a  dignity  that 
confirms  the  judgment  that,  whether  in  easel  pictures  or  deco- 
rations, his  work  always  touches  a  high  standard  of  art  and 
has  an  ennobling  and  exalting  influence. 

The  figures  are  grouped  upon  some  steps  that  lead  up  to 
the  seat  of  Wisdom.    She  stands  before  it,  rising  above  the 

228 


Copyright,  iS«)9,  hy  H  ( >.  Walker.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  19  >,  by  Curtis  A  Camen  n. 

THE  WISDOM  OF  THE  LAW.    Hv  HENRY  OLIVER  WALKER. 


Copyright,  1899,  by  Edward  Simmons.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1900,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 

THE  JUSTICE  OF  THE  LAW.    By  EDWARD  SIMMONS. 


Copyright,  1900,  by  K.  H.  Blaslirield.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1  ;■>.',  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 

THE  l'OWKR  of  THE  LAW.   By  EDWIN  H.  BLASHFIELD. 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


others.  Her  hands  outstretched,  suggesting  that  she  is  in- 
spired to  speak  and  is  hushing  her  audience.  Her  finely  de- 
veloped figure  is  clad  in  white,  and  a  mantle  of  green  falls  from 
her  shoulders.  Her  face  is  of  an  interesting  type  of  beauty, — 
gentle,  soulful,  and  womanly.  Before  her  stands  a  nude  boy 
with  wings,  around  her  gather  various  symbolical  figures.  In 
the  foreground,  on  the  left,  is  a  very  fine  group  of  a  half-nude 
angelic  being,  poised  on  one  foot  with  a  blue  drapery  swirling 
about  him,  and  delicate  pointed  wings  that  rise  nearly  to  the 
top  of  the  canvas.  He  is  pointing  upwards  while  he  touches 
a  despairing  comrade  who,  with  downcast  look,  crouches  on  the 
lowest  step.  The  colouring  is  tenderly  grey:  the  yellow,  blue, 
green,  and  pink  draperies  are  all  refined  into  the  neutral  tone ; 
and  neither  there,  nor  in  the  flesh  tones  or  hair  are  there  any 
strong  contrasts :  the  management  of  an  effect  that  is  most 
restrained,  yet  has  no  monotony,  but  gains  an  artistic  quality 
from  the  grace  with  which  it  wears  its  bonds,  being  one  of 
Mr.  Walker's  special  gifts. 

The  panels  on  either  side  are  much  more  complex  in  every 
way.  It  is  clearly  seen  that  they  have  been  arranged  as  pend- 
ants. The  mosaic  backgrounds  are  alike;  the  heads  of  the 
principal  figures  are  about  on  the  same  level,  and  both  are 
balanced  by  floating  forms  in  the  upper  part  of  the  canvas  and 
children  holding  shields  in  the  lower  corners.  The  one  on  the 
left  bears  the  explanatory  lines  on  the  moulding, — 

THE  JUSTICE  OF  THE  LAW 

JUSTICE  STANDS  FLANKED  BY  PEACE  AT  HER  LEFT  •  PLENTY  AT  HER  RIGHT 
PEACE  RECOILS  FROM  BRUTE  FORCE  WITHHELD  BY  FEAR  •  PLENTY  ASSISTS  THE  NEEDY 
LABOUR  BEHIND  HER  HAILS  JUSTICE  •  MERCY  (a  CHILD)  IN  THE  FOREGROUND 

232 


APPELLATE    COURTS  BUILDING 


Edward  Simmons's  ever-clever  brush  has  been  used  here 
in  a  very  sympathetic  way,  and  has  made  a  most  lovely  human 
picture  that  appeals  to  the  heart  and  strikes  the  chord  that 
makes  the  whole  world  kin.  We  are  reminded  that  Justice  is 
not  always  majestic  and  fearful,  but  has  a  side  wherein  she  is 
filled  with  mercy  and  kindness,  so  that  she  can  be  easily 
approached  by  the  most  timorous,  when  her  protecting  arms 
will  fold  softly  around  weak  women  and  tender  babes,  and  the 
widow  and  the  orphan  will  find  help  and  succour  at  her  hands. 
The  three  women  that  form  the  central  group  are  fair  creatures 
of  distinctly  modern  types.  They  stand  together  as  though 
Justice  was  the  older,  protecting  sister.  Crouching  close 
beside  her  is  frightened  Peace,  a  fair  vision  with  her  doves 
clasped  to  her  breast,  and  a  stalk  of  lilies, —  emblem  of  purity. 
Falling  at  her  feet,  the  flowered  robe  that  hangs  from  her 
shoulders,  and  Plenty's  garments  of  similar  fabric,  make  a 
superb  frame  of  colour  around  Justice's  white  robe.  In  the 
foreground  on  the  left  is  a  dark-haired  young  mother,  clad  in 
black,  holding  her  baby  in  her  arms  and  accepting  fruits  from 
Plenty's  well-filled  lap.  At  her  feet  sits  Mercy  in  the  guise  of 
a  tiny  child,  who  fondles  a  large  white  rabbit  and  a  fox.  This 
small  person  is  an  image  of  sweet,  childish  innocence,  worthy 
of  a  place  amongst  the  bambinos  that  the  Old  Masters  used  to 
draw  with  their  pets  attending  them.  The  colour  is  so  extraor- 
dinarily handsome,  the  clear  blue  of  the  mosaic  background, 
the  brunette,  blond,  and  red  blond  types  of  the  three  principal 
figures,  the  masses  of  delicate  whites  of  the  silver  and  gold 
brocade  that  Peace  and  Plenty  wear,  and  the  lifelike  way  in 
which  the  flesh  is  painted,  make  a  rare  ensemble.  Without 
exaggeration  the  treatment  may  be  spoken  of  as  masterly.  Not 

»3J 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 

only  is  the  painting  a  brilliant  and  individual  performance,  but 
the  beauty  of  the  sentiment  is  sweet  to  the  eyes  and  endears  it 
to  the  memory. 

The  legend  beneath  the  right-hand  panel  reads :  — 

THE  POWER  OF  THE  LAW 

THE   LAW  DRAWS   HER  SWORD   IN    BEHALF  OF  APPEAL  ;    ON  EITHER 
SIDE  SHE  IS   SUPPORTED   BY  MAGISTRATES  AND   FIGURES  TYPIFYING 
ROMAN   LAW,   CANON   LAW,   AND  COMMON   (ANGLO-SAXON)  LAW 

Two  floating  female  figures  enveloped  in  swirling  draperies 
fill  the  upper  part  of  the  canvas,  holding  a  golden  circlet  over 
the  head  of  the  strong,  stern  Justice,  whose  awful  and  deter- 
mined countenance  would  strike  terror  to  the  guilty,  and  uphold 
the  faith  of  the  innocent.  She  wears  armour  upon  her  shoul- 
ders and  breast  over  a  clinging  white  garment,  and  holds  a  half- 
drawn  sword.  This  majestic  personage  towers  above  a  woman 
of  the  poorer  class,  who  kneels  in  the  foreground,  her  arms 
flung  up  in  an  appeal  for  help  :  the  representatives  of  the  law 
that  stand  about  cast  looks  of  interest  upon  the  suppliant. 
Each  one  of  these  male  figures  is  a  study  in  itself.  The  heads 
are  carefully  characteristic  portraits,  and  the  picturesque  gar- 
ments which  mark  their  vocations  and  nationalities  give  an 
interesting  variety  of  form  and  colour.  On  the  left  of  Justice 
stands  the  Anglo-Saxon  with  benign  countenance,  full-bearded, 
and  with  heavy  locks  that  hang  upon  his  shoulders :  he  is 
robed  in  cloth  of  gold.  Next  him  is  a  bishop,  the  very  type  of 
an  old  churchman,  subtle,  wily,  and  diplomatic,  his  quaint  figure 
gathering  height  from  the  long  straight  folds  of  his  magnificent 
brocaded  robe  of  office.  Opposite  them  is  a  high-bred  young 
Roman,  a  very  classic  figure  as  he  stands  with  a  scroll  half-hid- 

234 


APPELLATE    COURTS  BUILDING 


den  in  his  toga.  Over  his  shoulder  peers  a  solemn  countenance 
in  a  horse-hair  wig.  At  the  end  of  each  of  these  groups  stands 
a  magistrate  in  ordinary  Doctor's  gown,  the  ample  dark  material 
making  just  the  deepened  note  that  gives  strength  and  contrast 
to  the  colour  scheme.  The  whole  feeling  of  the  painting  is 
impressive  dignity,  which  the  artist  has  evidently  conveyed  by 
every  means  that  the  study  of  art  can  teach  ;  and  the  result  is 
so  completely  satisfactory  that  it  would  seem  impossible  to  make 
the  same  number  of  figures  in  the  given  space  represent  the 
subject  more  ably. 

In  this  case,  undoubtedly,  Mr.  Blash  field  has  signed  the 
finest  piece  of  mural  painting  which  his  busy  hands  have  yet 
completed, —  the  culmination  of  years  of  study  and  experience, 
in  which  he  has  gone  steadily  forward,  until  here  he  has  added 
to  a  composition  which  is  a  model  of  beauty  and  fitness:  a 
standard  of  workmanship  and  a  finished  style  that  is  noticeable 
in  every  particular.  The  strength  and  beauty  of  the  achievement 
lies  neither  in  the  drawing  nor  the  colour  nor  the  character,  but 
in  them  all. 

The  frieze  along  the  western  wall,  crossing  above  the  dais 
of  the  Justices,  by  Kenyon  Cox,  carries  on  the  high  standard  of 
these  three  paintings.  From  the  very  long  and  narrow  space 
at  his  disposal  the  problem  of  arranging  the  figures  was  a  some- 
what difficult  one,  which  he  solved  by  placing  them  seated 
along  a  low  stone  coping.  He  also  divided  the  length  into  five 
panels,  the  central  one,  containing  a  conventionalised  scroll, 
bearing  the  title  Laiu  Reigns,  On  the  right  are  Peace  ami  Com- 
mcrcc,  the  least  successful  of  the  series,  and  Plenty  Rewarding 
Industry,  which  is  by  far  the  most  interesting.  The  woman 
that  leans  against  the  tall  basket  of  loaves  is  gracefully  drawn 

2M 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


and  most  easily  and  pleasantly  composed ;  and  the  nude  man 
to  whom  she  is  handing  a  loaf  is  a  superb  piece  of  drawing  and 
modelling.  The  wreaths  containing  emblems  in  the  corners  of 
each  panel  add  a  decorative  touch  that  is  most  effective.  The 
frieze  is  continued  by  two  well-balanced  compositions,  each 
showing  a  central  figure  supported  by  two  nude  boys  and  half- 
reclining  figures  at  the  sides.  Mr.  Cox's  drawings  of  beautiful 
children  have  been  noticed  before,  and  these  little  ones  rival 
those  in  his  lunettes,  in  the  Congressional  Library.  The  boy 
holding  the  ballot  box  is  a  most  lovely  image  of  childhood. 
The  symbolical  figures  of  Law,  Liberty,  Freedom,  etc.,  are  not 
of  much  interest  when  taken  separately,  and  some  of  their  atti- 
tudes are  rather  strained ;  but  together  they  make  a  decora- 
tive band  of  form  and  colour  that  in  its  grave  and  studied  way 
certainly  adorns  the  wall,  the  lack  of  individual  charm  being 
compensated  by  dignity  and  impressiveness. 

Upon  the  wall  graced  by  the  imposing  triple  images  of  Jus- 
tice, George  W.  Maynard  painted  the  arms  of  the  City  and  the 
State  in  the  frieze ;  and  the  numerous  small  panels  between  the 
pilasters  and  the  windows  are  by  Joseph  Lauber. 


238 


XIII.   MISCELLANEOUS  WORK. 

1892— 1901 


Even  in  the  early  days  of  mural  painting  the  owners  of 
hotels  were  among  its  first  and  most  liberal  patrons;  for  they 
recognised  that  here  was  a  means  of  adding  to  the  attractive- 
ness of  their  caravanseries,  and  for  this  reason  a  liberal  expen- 
diture for  purely  ornamental  purposes  was  considered  a  good 
investment.  But  all  former  efforts  were  quite  thrown  into  the 
shade  by  the  scale  on  which  Henry  J.  Hardenberg  was  able  to 
give  his  orders  when  he  built  the  Waldorf,  and  afterwards  the 
Astoria  adjoining.  No  pains  was  spared  to  make  every  detail 
of  these  luxurious  structures  as  magnificent  as  possible  ;  and  the 
most  costly  woodwork,  rich  gilding,  and  precious  marble  were 
used  without  stint,  so  that  the  rooms  are  splendid  ensembles  of 
colour  and  ornament,  to  which  the  mural  paintings  give  the 
final  elegance.  The  dining-room  in  the  Waldorf  is  wainscoted 
with  mahogany,  with  a  heavily-beamed  ceiling  of  the  same 
wood,  which  was  decorated  by  Frederic  Crowninshicld. 

It  was  impossible  for  the  artist  to  cover  the  whole  with  one 
large  picture,  on  account  of  the  position  of  the  beams  which 
divide  the  space  into  five  separate  panels.  He  made  a  plan 
for  placing  his  figures,  in  oval  and  round  forms  of  various  sizes, 
upon  the  three  central  spaces,  which  should  all  hold  together  in 
one  decorative  pattern.  In  the  middle  is  a  large  circle.  The 
background  is  the  blue  sky,  against  which  a  floating  woman  is 
poised.  Her  draperies  are  green,  and  a  mauve  mantle  flies  out 
from  her  shoulders.    Beside  her  a  cupid  beats  upon  a  tam- 

239 


AMERICAN     MURAL  PAINTING 


bourine.  Above  and  below  this  central  interest,  a  smaller  circle 
breaks  the  uncovered  space. 

The  side  panels  repeat  each  other  in  the  arrangement  of 
four  small  circles  around  an  enormous  oval.  The  backgrounds 
of  the  latter  are  also  sky  and  clouds,  and  the  figures  are  com- 
posed upon  the  same  general  plan.  At  each  end  are  symbolical 
groups,  the  most  pleasing  of  which  shows  a  tall  woman  clad 
in  a  pale  green  garment.  She  stands  very  erect,  with  an  urn 
upon  her  head,  a  nude  youth  kneeling  at  her  feet.  At  the  sides, 
equally  distant  from  the  principal  figures,  are  tripods  supported 
by  two  partly  draped  boys.  The  treatment  throughout  is  con- 
ventionalised, in  keeping  with  the  formality  of  the  design. 

The  ceiling  of  the  ladies'  reception-room  by  Will  H.  Low  is 
gracefully  entitled  Homage  to  Woman.  The  canvas  is  oval  and 
the  composition  follows  this  form  in  a  very  charming  wreath- 
like effect.  The  chief  figure,  that  absorbs  the  interest  and 
attention  of  all  the  others,  stands  above  them  in  a  delicate  shell : 
the  masses  of  her  golden  auburn  hair  stream  about  her.  A  cupid 
sitting  upon  the  edge  of  her  frail  bark  is  driving  a  flock  of  doves 
in  harnesses  of  long  blue,  pink,  and  mauve  ribbons.  These 
rainbow  streaks  of  colour  and  the  feathered  captives  connect 
the  upper  group  with  two  youths  and  a  maiden  who  sit  among 
banks  of  clouds,  which  are  decidedly  pink,  as  if  from  the  reflec- 
tion of  a  sunrise.  The  warm  colour  fades  away  into  lighter 
shades  above,  until  the  cloud  forms  are  broken,  showing  bits  of 
pure  blue.  The  circular  movement  is  continued  by  three  cupids 
balancing  the  chief  figure,  and  four  maidens  with  rose-wreathed 
hair,  who  float  upward  to  g:*eet  her.  Their  mauve,  violet,  blue, 
and  green  draperies  make  a  gay  train  of  colour  through  the  rosy 
clouds.    This  decoration,  for  the  pleasant  harmony  of  the 

240 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


grouping,  and  for  the  colour  which,  though  quite  clear  and 
decided,  melts  as  a  whole  into  one  artistic  impression,  must  be 
considered  a  very  attractive  and  successful  piece  of  work,  prob- 
ably the  best  that  has  yet  come  from  the  artist's  hand,  unless  it 
is  surpassed  by  Golden  Autumn,  a  ceiling  in  a  private  house, 
which  is  accorded  very  high  praise. 

There  are  also  to  be  found  in  this  hotel  a  panel  in  the  cafe 
by  George  W.  Maynard,  a  ceiling  in  the  ball-room  by  Frank 
Fowler,  and  panels  by  D.  Maitland  Armstrong.  All  this  work 
was  executed  in  1892,  and  that  in  the  Astoria  in  1897. 

The  wall  space  of  the  dining-room  of  the  Astoria  is  very 
much  broken,  owing  to  the  numerous  doors  and  windows,  above 
which  are  C.  Y.  Turner's  series  of  spandrel  decorations  that  are 
a  striking  and  distinguished  feature  of  the  nobly  proportioned 
room.  A  rich  peacock-blue  background  throws  into  relief  the 
handsome  types  of  the  figures,  each  one  having  been  specially 
designed  with  a  view  to  filling  its  place  in  a  scheme  of  full  pure 
colour,  and  with  interesting  accessories  that  should  give  an 
aesthetic  impression.  Upon  the  north  wall  is  a  row  of  youths 
with  birds  of  brilliant  plumage,  the  artist  having  taken  full 
advantage  of  the  suggestive  tints  of  the  beautiful  tropical 
creatures.  This,  which  is  the  most  original  part  of  the  work  in 
conception,  is  yet  not  more  pleasing  than  the  other  walls,  where 
music,  fruits,  and  flowers  are  typified  by  young  people  who 
sing,  play,  gather  blossoms,  or  pick  the  ripe  products  of  the 
trees.  Painted  with  breadth  and  simplicity,  and  with  an  attrac- 
tiveness that  compels  the  admiration  of  many  who  confess  that 
they  do  not  care  much  for  paintings,  the  series  shows  Mr. 
Turner's  abilities  to  the  best  advantage,  and  is  an  accomplish- 
ment upon  which  his  rank  as  a  muralist  may  well  depend. 

242 


MISCELLANEOUS  WORK 


The  other  decorative  attractions  of  the  house  are  found  in 
the  ball-room  and  the  Astor  Gallery,  which  are  most  lavishly 
ornamented.  The  latter,  in  which  the  paintings  are  all  by  Ed- 
ward Simmons,  ranks  among  the  finest  artistic  achievements 
that  the  country  can  boast ;  and  the  artist  has  never  sui-passed 
the  standard  that  he  has  here  set  for  himself.  The  opportunity 
was  one  worthy  of  the  most  brilliant  talents.  The  gallery, 
which  is  of  most  generous  dimensions,  is  very  finely  propor- 
tioned. The  walls  and  ceiling  are  cream-colour  finished  with 
much  gold.  Along  one  side  a  line  of  tall,  stately  windows 
looks  upon  the  street.  The  paintings,  which  go  entirely  around 
the  room,  fill  the  lunettes  between  the  ornamental  arches  of  the 
windows,  doors,  and  panelling.  The  subjects  of  these  are  The 
Seasons  and  The  Months,  but  they  are  no  ordinary  conceptions 
of  the  every-day  themes.  Each  of  the  sixteen  compositions  is  a 
gem  of  exquisite  fancy,  painted  with  such  lightness  and  brill- 
iancy that  it  seems  to  have  been  tossed  upon  the  canvas  in  a 
moment  of  exuberant  happiness  and  freedom  from  care,  and  did 
not  need  to  be  worked  over  and  spoiled  by  too  much  labour, 
but  is  just  as  it  came  fresh  from  the  artist's  first  thought.  This 
effect  of  spontaneity,  however  it  may  be  obtained, —  and  it  is 
often  the  result  of  the  finest  art  covering  the  traces  of  study 
and  pains, —  is  very  rare,  and  adds  the  last  charm  to  the  deco- 
rations of  a  place  like  the  Astor  Gallery,  which  is  devoted  to 
social  functions,  music,  and  entertainments.  The  truly  joyous 
spirit  has  quite  as  honourable  a  place  in  art  as  monumental 
dignity  or  elevated  sentiment;  and,  since  the  character  of  the 
nineteenth  century  was  none  too  light-hearted,  and  painters 
and  writers  were  somewhat  prone  to  take  themselves  very  seri- 
ously, if  not  sadly,  this  delicious  burst  of  gayety  in  the  humour 

243 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


of  the  eighteenth  century  is  the  more  to  be  appreciated.  The 
tone  throughout  the  series  is  very  light.  The  blue  sky  back- 
grounds are  misty  with  faint,  pearly  clouds,  in  which  sportive 
cherubs  gambol ;  and  the  iridescent  draperies,  which  but  partly 
conceal  the  delicate  figures  of  the  fair  galaxy  of  women  that  are 
the  months  and  seasons,  melt  again  into  this  tone,  so  that  the 


Copyright,  1897,  by  Edward  Simmons. 

JANUARY  and  FEBRUARY. 


whole  impression  is  softly  grey,  with  here  and  there  a  note  of 
warmth.  As  the  colour  is  in  one  lovely  harmony,  so  the  action 
of  the  figures  is  governed  by  a  uniform  sense  of  movement ; 
and  in  this  respect,  while  the  artist  has  used  his  drawing  with 
great  freedom,  he  has  practised  restraint  at  exactly  the  right 
moment,  so  that  what  is  really  very  active  motion  is  managed 
with  grace  and  lightness.  The  whole  effect  is  so  complete  that 
it  is  difficult  to  choose  one  canvas  that  surpasses  another,  and 

244 


MISCELLANEOUS  WORK 


the  decision  wavers.  May  is  holding  up  her  dainty  hands  to 
ward  off  the  roses  with  which  a  merry  child  is  pelting  her; 
April  is  drawing  aside  a  drapery,  to  disclose  a  rainbow  in  the 
sky ;  December,  about  whom  the  clouds  are  growing  dark,  and 
who  vainly  shields  herself  with  her  wind-blown  veil  from  the 
shower  of  snowflakes  that  a  cupid  lets  fall ;  or  June,  where  a 


From  Copley  Prints.    Copyright,  1897,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 


B\  EDWARD  simmoNS. 

handsome  young  lover  —  the  only  grown  adult  male  on  the 
walls  —  sits  with  his  arm  about  his  sweetheart.  Hut  the  prefer- 
ence finally  remains  with  January  and  February.  The  first 
shows  a  lithe  maiden.  Her  back  is  turned;  and  her  face,  sur- 
rounded by  soft,  light-brown  hair,  is  seen  in  profile.  The  thin 
material  of  her  gown  is  blown  out  from  her  figure.  In  one 
hand  she  holds  an  hour-glass,  which  she  offers  to  a  cherub  :  the 
other  grasps  the  end  of  a  long  cream-coloured  ribbon,  that 

245 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


floats  across  the  sky  in  graceful  curves  until  it  is  caught  by  a 
second  cherub  that  plays  with  it  in  the  air.  In  February,  a 
dark-haired,  dark-eyed,  sparkling  creature  is  half  sitting  against 
the  curve  of  the  arch.  She  wears  over  her  silk  gown,  to  pro- 
tect her  head  and  shoulders,  an  ermine  hood  and  mantle ;  but 
the  wind  maliciously  puffs  out  the  cape,  exposing  her  bare 
arms,  and  a  teasing  cupid  has  seized  the  ends  of  the  ribbon 
with  which  it  is  tied  under  her  chin.  At  her  knee  another 
small  being  bends  over  her  foot,  trying  to  attach  her  skates. 
Only  the  painting  itself  can  give  the  idea  of  the  charming  ani- 
mation of  the  group. 

Will  H.  Low's  portion  of  the  ball-room  decorations  consists 
of  fourteen  oval  panels  and  six  lunettes.  In  the  former  are 
figures  representing  the  nations,  with  musical  instruments  typi- 
cal of  the  various  lands,  and  characteristic  backgrounds  and 
accessories.  One  of  the  most  pleasing  compositions  shows  a 
fair-haired  woman,  in  a  gown  of  large-patterned  brocade  with 
pink  sleeves,  seated  in  a  garden  playing  on  a  guitar.  Behind 
are  high,  steep-roofed  houses.  The  most  prominent  panel,  just 
over  the  stage,  is  devoted  to  America,  a  fair  girl  with  a  large 
national  flag  draped  over  her  shoulders.  The  subjects  of  the 
lunettes  are  The  Dance,  The  Drama,  The  Music  of  the  Sea, 
The  Music  of  the  Woods,  The  Music  of  War,  The  Music  of 
Peace.  Unfortunately,  the  artist  has  used  such  bright  colouring 
that  the  series  does  not  quite  take  its  proper  decorative  place  on 
the  wall,  and  rather  mars  the  harmony  of  the  handsome  room. 
The  ceiling,  Music  and  the  Dance,  is  by  Edwin  H.  Blashfield. 
In  this  large  space  the  cloudy  sky  has  been  made  of  great  in- 
terest :  the  forms  are  full  of  character  and  have  the  beauty  of 
nature,  and  the  masses  are  so  ably  managed  that  they  bring  the 

246 


MISCELLANEOUS  WORK 


half-rings  of  figures  at  either  side  into  one  unbroken  design. 
Nothing  is  cut  out  or  harsh,  and  the  light  clouds  half-veil  the 
clustering  forms.  The  slight  motion  to  be  seen  when  watching 
the  heavens  pervades  the  action  of  the  musicians,  the  leader 
standing  amid  her  choir  and  orchestra  of  fair  women,  that  play 
upon  violins  and  'cellos.  The  bands  of  dancers  are  wreathed 
together  hand  in  hand,  moving  as  gracefully  as  the  doves  that 
lighten  the  deepened  blue.  The  spirit  of  light-heartedness  and 
jov  reigns  triumphant. 

When  planning  the  Hotel  Manhattan  (189S),  Mr.  Harden- 
berg  continued  to  provide  liberal  opportunities  for  the  deco- 
rators. The  most  prominent  position  is  held  by  Mr.  Turner's 
work  in  the  rotunda,  which  consists  of  a  frieze,  two  lunettes  and 
three  panels.  Interest  is  concentrated  upon  the  frieze,  The 
Trhimphof  Manhattan,  which  won  the  commission  in  a  com- 
petition held  in  the  galleries  of  the  Fine  Arts  Building  in  1S96. 
The  central  figure  typifies  Manhattan,  and  she  is  surrounded 
by  other  symbolic  personages  that  are  seated  along  a  terrace 
overlooking  New  York  Harbour.  Behind  them  on  the  west 
are  the  Palisades  of  the  Hudson ;  on  the  east  is  the  Long 
Island  shore,  with  the  towers  of  Brooklyn  Bridge  rising  in  the 
gathering  mist.  The  composition  is  completed  on  one  side  by 
historical  persons  that  were  prominent  during  the  Dutch  and 
the  English  supremacies,  and  have  since  added  glory  to  the 
period  of  American  Independence.  On  the  other  is  shown  the 
growth  of  commerce  from  the  time  of  the  Indians  and  the  trap- 
pers. The  upright  panels  between  the  windows  contain 
figures  of  Spring,  Summer,  and  Autumn, —  three  colonial  dames 
clad  in  the  picturesque  costume  of  the  Dutch  settlers.  Music 
and  the  Dance  are  depicted  in  the  tympanums.    In  the  addition 

247 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


to  the  hotel  just  completed,  Mr.  Turner  has  another  painting  of 
The  Seasons,  and  is  now  engaged  upon  a  companion  to  it. 
There  will  also  be  a  large  panel  by  Kenyon  Cox  in  the  same 
corridor. 


Copyright,  1896,  by  C.  Y.  Turner.  From  a  Copley  Print.    Copyright,  1896,  by  Curtis  &  Cameron. 

DETAIL  from  THE  TRIUMPH  OF  MANHATTAN.    By  C  Y.  TURNER. 

The  Italian  Landscape  frieze  by  Frederic  Crowninshield  is 
a  distinguished  feature  in  the  old  cafe.  The  space  is  divided 
by  pilasters,  which  the  artist  has  connected  with  garlands  fes- 
tooned across  the  panels.  The  notions  of  these  vary  in  impor- 
tance from  the  simple  theme  of  a  garland  hung  against  a  stretch 
of  blue  sky  with  butterflies  floating  in  the  air  to  bits  of  pict- 

248 


MISCELLANEOUS  WORK 


uresque  conventional  gardens,  where  marble  statues  and 
amphoras  are  set  among  green  hedges,  beyond  which  are  dis- 
tant views  of  hills  crowned  with  villas  and  monasteries.  The 
introduction  of  life-size  figures  in  the  foreground  gives  a  human 
interest  to  these  charming  scenes.  All  the  subjects  are  treated 
with  simplicity  and  breadth,  and  the  series  makes  a  very  pleas- 
ing decorative  effect.  It  will  be  continued  upon  the  walls 
of  the  new  cafe.  The  other  paintings  in  the  hotel  are  of  so 
little  merit  that  they  need  not  be  mentioned. 

There  are  not  any  large  number  of  important  mural  paint- 
ings in  our  private  houses.  It  is  surprising  to  find  how  few 
of  our  well-known  artists  have  been  called  upon  for  a  single 
order  of  the  kind.  Mr.  Blashfield  has  the  longest  list  of 
such  commissions,  his  style  being  especially  suited  to  the 
adornment  of  domestic  interiors.  After  the  Columbian  Ex- 
position he  was  one  of  those  selected  by  George  H.  Post, 
the  architect,  to  decorate  the  New  York  residence  of  the  late 
Collis  P.  Huntington.  Hut  his  success,  and  that  of  his  con- 
freres, owing  to  the  wishes  of  the  family,  cannot  be  described 
in  this  book. 

George  \V.  Drexel,  of  Philadelphia,  however,  has  not  the 
same  objection  to  sharing  the  pleasure  which  his  library,  beauti- 
fied by  Mr.  Blashfield,  must  have  afforded  him.  In  this  room 
there  are  two  panels,  Prose  and  Poetry,  and  a  circular  ceiling, 
deserving  of  admiring  notice;  for  the  artist  seems  to  have  a 
special  gift  for  working  in  domes  and  all  rounded  forms.  The 
figures  are  seated  against  a  background  of  conventionalised  de- 
sign, with  a  wide  band  of  ornament  at  the  top,  and  with  scrolls, 
upon  which  are  printed  one  of  the  verses  from  the  41  Psalm  of 
Life,"  interspersed  with  escutcheons  bearing  the  names  of  the 

249 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


subjects  depicted,  along  the  bottom.  Here  are  to  be  recognised 
world-famous  men  and  women  of  many  different  ages,  each 
drawn  with  strict  attention  to  historical  accuracy  of  costume 
and  accessory,  and,  where  possible,  of  portraiture.  Saint  Fran- 
cis, typifying  Religion,  sits  very  erect,  his  habit  falls  about 
his  thin  frame,  his  hands  are  clasped,  his  ascetic  face  looks  out 
from  the  shadow  of  his  cowl.  Two  great  candles  in  antique 
candlesticks  burn  before  him.  Indeed,  so  interesting  is  each 
conception  that,  if  space  permitted,  the  writer  would  like  to  give 
a  detailed  account  of  each  one  :  Saint  Cecilia  with  a  tiny  mediae- 
val organ ;  Harold  Hardradu,  breathing  the  boldness  of  the 
conqueror ;  Portia,  interpreting  the  law ;  or  Raphael,  the  fair 
young  painter.  Another  exceptionally  interesting  interior  is 
the  Gothic  supper-room  in  the  New  York  residence  of  William 
K.  Vanderbilt,  Esquire,  where  the  paintings  are  treated  in  a 
formal  way,  suggestive  of  the  mediaeval  period  from  which  the 
scenes  are  taken,  and  finely  in  keeping  with  the  character  of 
the  architecture.  In  an  archway  on  the  south  wall  is  The 
Sword  Dance.  The  performers  are  tripping  on  a  marble  ter- 
race, the  young  men  holding  their  drawn  swords  above  the 
heads  of  three  girls  that  lead  a  train  of  fair  companions  between 
the  shining  blades.  The  queen  of  the  dance  carries  a  broad 
platter,  and  her  flower-crowned  head  is  outlined  against  a  large 
tree  which  spreads  out  over  the  merry  party.  "  Waeshael " 
printed  in  Gothic  text  upon  an  escutcheon  hung  in  the 
branches  breaks  the  mass  of  green  that  fills  the  upper  part  of 
the  arch.  The  girls  that  follow  the  leader  bear  wine-jars ;  and 
the  three  compose  a  picturesque  group,  framed  by  stalwart 
gallants  proudly  arrayed  in  armour  and  rich  doublets  and  hose. 
Squires  with  pennons  and  banners  stand  at  the  sides.    Op  the 

250 


AMERICAN    M  URAL  PAINTING 


north  wall  the  spandrels  show  a  design  of  horsemen  and  men- 
at-arms. 

Other  mural  paintings  by  Mr.  Blashfield  are  a  panel  of  Jus- 
tice in  the  dining-room  of  the  Lawyers'  Club,  another  in  the 
residence  of  Adolf  Lewisohn,  Esquire,  each  in  New  York  City ; 
the  large  lunette,  Pittsburg,  in  a  bank  at  Pittsburg,  Pennsylva- 
nia ;  the  ceiling  and  general  design  of  a  music-room  in  the 
house  of  R.  I.  Gammell,  Esquire,  Providence,  Rhode  Island;  and 
the  panels  in  the  Prudential  Life  Insurance  Company's  offices 
in  Newark,  New  Jersey.  George  B.  Post,  the  architect,  ever  a 
friend  of  mural  painting,  has  felt  special  interest  in  Mr.  Blash- 
field's  work,  and  has  been  able  to  give  him  opportunities  in  the 
Huntington  house,  the  Lawyers'  Club,  the  Bank  of  Pittsburg, 
and  the  Prudential  Life  Insurance  Building. 

Since  the  time  of  the  Columbian  Exposition,  Francis  D. 
Millet  has  not  been  heard  of  in  connection  with  any  public 
enterprise ;  and  there  is  only  one  painting  from  his  brush  to 
record,  Thesmophoria,  a  companion  to  Mr.  Blashfieid's  tympa- 
num in  the  Bank  of  Pittsburg. 

The  Thesmophoria,  or  harvest  festival,  shows  a  procession 
of  maidens  with  wreaths  of  leaves  and  flowers  upon  their  hair, 
and  light,  trailing,  classic  draperies,  marching  along  a  road. 
They  bear  platters  of  fruit,  bouquets  of  flowers,  and  palm 
branches ;  one  holds  a  lighted  torch,  another,  stooping  to  tie 
her  sandal,  has  laid  her  palm  upon  the  ground.  Men  carrying 
grain,  and  playing  upon  the  flute,  follow ;  and  a  beautiful  bull 
decked  with  flowers,  brings  up  the  rear.  Above  the  roadside 
wall,  which  is  about  breast-high,  rise  tall  poplar  and  evergreen 
trees,  between  which  are  seen  stretches  of  hills,  their  summits 
crowned  by  Grecian  dwellings.    The  bankers  seem  to  be  very 

252 


MISCELLANEOUS  WORK 


proud  of  their  two  decorations ;  for  reproductions  of  them  are 
printed  at  the  head  of  the  yearly  reports,  and  a  foot-note  in- 
forms the  public  that  Mr.  Millet  s  procession  includes  portraits 
drawn  from  life  of  Mrs.  de  Navarro,  Mrs.  Alma  Tadema,  and 
other  notable  ladies. 

H.  Siddons  Mowbray  was  one  of  those  employed  upon  the 
Huntington  house,  which  must  be  passed  over  in  favour  of  the 
most  ambitious  piece  of  decoration  that  the  artist  has  been  called 
upon  to  execute, —  the  drawing-room  ceiling  in  the  house  of 
Frederick  Vanderbilt,  Esquire,  at  Hyde  Park,  New  York.  This 
consists  of  a  large  oval  panel,  ten  by  eighteen  feet,  two 
smaller  ones,  ten  by  nine  feet,  and  four  smaller  yet,  seven  by 
three  feet.  The  largest  composition  shows  the  scene  from  the 
legend  of  Ceres  and  Proserpine,  where  Mercury  brings  back 
the  daughter  for  whom  her  mother  has  mourned.  The  back- 
ground of  clouds  is  lighted  by  a  sunset  glow  reflected  upon 
some  of  the  figures.  Ceres  is  seated  in  the  centre  of  one  side ; 
and  behind  her,  rising  to  the  other  edge,  are  her  winged  at- 
tendants, the  winds.  High  upon  the  opposite  side  of  the  can- 
vas, Mercury  comes  flying  forward,  with  winged  helmet  and 
caduccus,  and  a  great  golden-red  mantle  with  deep  blue  shadows 
floating  behind  him.  Before  him  is  the  sweet  young  Proser- 
pine, whom  he  is  holding  by  one  hand,  and  guiding  forward. 
She  is  a  winsome,  slight  creature,  clad  in  delicate  pink,  as  frail 
and  lovely  as  the  spring  flowers  that  blow  at  her  coming.  Any 
one  acquainted  with  Mr.  Mowbray's  style  can  picture  the  soaring 
motion  with  which  the  figures  play  in  the  air,  in  attitudes  that 
display  the  sure  powers  of  a  very  able  draughtsman,  and  the 
refinement,  the  witchery,  the  beauty  of  face  and  form  with 
which  he  dowers  the  creations  of  his  brush.    The  fresh  flesh- 


255 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


tones,  soft  wings,  and  the  delicate  pinks,  bluish-green,  pale 
blue,  violet,  and  iridescent  red  draperies,  amid  the  sunset  sky. 
produce  a  colour  impression  to  which  the  term  opalescent  can 
certainly  be  applied ;  for  the  mingling  of  the  hues  are,  indeed, 
wonderfully  similar  to  the  changeful  jewel  from  which  the  term 
is  derived.  The  two  panels  next  in  size  represent  The  Earth 
and  The  Heavens ;  the  others,  Fruit,  Flowers,  and  The  Vines 
and  The  Fields. 

Mr.  Mowbray  also  collaborated  with  Mr.  Blashfield  in  the 
board-room  of  the  Prudential  Insurance  Building,  Newark, 
New  Jersey,  each  artist  doing  certain  panels. 

In  the  music-room  of  the  residence  of  Charles  Y.  Yerkes, 
Esquire,  there  are  four  overdoor  panels  by  Will  H.  Low,  the 
subjects  of  which  are  different  moods  of  music,  treated  in  the 
style  of  the  Louis  XIV.  period;  and  in  the  drawing-room  of 
the  residence  of  W.  V.  Laurence,  Esquire  (both  in  New  York), 
there  is  a  ceiling  by  the  same  hand.  Mr.  Low  has  written 
quite  a  long  account  of  the  way  the  composition  for  the  latter, 
called  Golden  Autumn,  was  evolved.*  A  sketch  made  ten 
years  before  for  a  line  from  Buchanan  Read's  "  Closing  Scene  " 

"  Like  some  tanned  reaper  in  his  hours  of  ease  "  — 

came  into  the  artist's  mind  after  carefully  studying  his  space 
and  having  made  several  attempts  at  designs  which  should  con- 
vey some  phase  of  nature,  as  his  client  objected  to  heathen 
gods  and  goddesses.  The  painting  is  circular,  and  covers  only 
a  part  of  the  ceiling, —  the  room  being  of  a  very  irregular 
shape, —  the  remainder  is  finished  with  sheets  of  metal  lac- 
quered to  a  pale  gold  tint,  which  are  fastened  together,  leaving 

*"  The  Field  of  Art,"  Scribner's  Magazine,  April,  190 1. 

256 


•  M  I  SC  E  L  LA  Mines  WORK 


Copyright,  1899,  by  Will  H   Low.  from  I'rint  by  C  Kl.ukiu  i. 


GOLDEN  AUTUMN.    Mv  Wil  l.  II  I.OW. 

the  edges  showing,  so  that  the  effect  is  like  delicate  mosaic. 
The  artist's  mellow,  golden  shades  in  the  evening  sky,  the 
sheaves,  and  the  wheat-strewn  field  carry  this  on  harmoniously; 
and  the  three  reapers,  one  lying  wearily  on  the  ground,  one 

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AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


kneeling  with  arms  laden  with  grain,  and  the  third  standing 
holding  a  sieve  through  which  pours  a  stream  of  the  winnowed 
wheat,  wear  draperies  of  orange,  rose,  and  green. 

Shortly  after  the  Columbian  Exposition,  Edward  Simmons 


Copyright,  1899,  by  Edward  Simmons. 


MORNING  QUITTING  NIGHT. 

completed  four  panels  of  cupids  and  banderoles  which  sur- 
round the  large  light  in  the  library  of  the  Metropolitan  Club, 
New  York  City.  He  has  since  painted  for  the  Louis  XV. 
parlour  of  the  same  house,  which  contains  Mr.  Mowbray's 
beautiful  Ceres  and  Proserpine^  a  ceiling  entitled  Aurora  and 
Tilkonus,  a  spirited  composition  treated  rather  realistically, 
the  figures  drawn  in  decided  action  and  the  goddess's  char- 
iot and  horses  in  fine  perspective.  The  room  also  contains 
four  small  panels,  Morning  and  Evening,  and  two  arrange- 
ments of  cupids.    And,  for  the  dining-room,  five  panels  of 

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MISCELLANEOUS  WORK 


cupids  wreathing  roses  around  banderoles,  which  are  set  into 
a  fine  early-Italian  ceiling,  richly  carved,  that  was  brought  from 
abroad  and  put  into  place  there. 

Mr.  Simmons  is  now  engaged  upon  decorations  for  the 


From  Copley  Prints     Copyright,  i  "•</.,,  by  Curtis  \  Cameron. 
P.s   EDWARD  SIMMONS. 


dining-room  in  the  New  York  residence  of  R.  A.  Canfield, 
Esquire.  Only  two  of  the  doorway  spandrels  arc  finished. 
These  were  inspired  by  certain  poetic  images  by  Swinburne; 
and  the  left-hand  composition,  which  shows  Morning  Quitting 
Night,  is  pronounced  to  be  one  of  the  artist's  finest  achieve- 
ments. The  figure  of  Night  is  very  beautiful.  She  bends  for- 
ward with  outstretched  hands,  begging  Day  to  linger.  She 
is  clad  from  the  waist  down  in  gold  and  silver  embroidery, 
over  which  falls  a  drapery  of  semi-transparent  black  and  grey 
gauze,  with  a  splash  of  blood-red  here  and  there  in  the  net. 

259 


AMERICAN    MURAL  PAINTING 


The  background  is  a  lightning-blue  sky  with  an  owl  haunting 
the  shadows. 

John  W.  Alexander  has  under  way  a  ceiling  and  panels 
for  a  drawing-room  in  the  New  York  residence  of  James  W. 
Alexander,  Esquire.  Only  the  latter  are  in  place.  The  room 
is  finished  in  white  and  gold,  and  the  paintings  are  in  tones  of 


Copyright,  1S99,  by  C.  Klackner. 


PANELS  from  THE  CANTERBURY  PILGRIMAGE, 

pale  yellow  and  green.  The  large  canvas  above  the  mantel 
shows  two  women  seated  upon  a  divan,  one  playing  upon  a 
guitar,  while  another  listens  to  the  music.  Over  one  door  are 
seen  picturesque  maidens  with  large  hats  upon  their  heads,  and 
wearing  very  full  skirts,  walking  in  an  orchard  of  young  trees, 
the  trunks  of  which  are  painted  white ;  over  the  other  a  group 
of  dancers  are  tripping  on  the  seashore. 

The  United  States  Pavilion  at  the  Paris  Exposition  (1900) 
was  decorated  by  Elmer  E.  Garnsey,  whose  ability  has  been  so 
greatly  appreciated  by  architects  and  their  clients  that  he  has 

260 


M  ISCELLANEOUS  WORK 


been  employed  for  the  general  decoration, —  or  for  some  large 
portion  of  it  —  of  almost  every  public  building  erected  since 
the  time  of  the  Columbian  Exposition,  that  has  been  men- 
tioned in  this  book,  besides  many  of  a  semi-public  nature,  and 
numerous  private  houses.  Robert  Reid  also  contributed  to  the 
pavilion  the  panel  of  America  Unveiling  Her  Natural  Strength. 


Copyright,  1898,  by  C,  Kl.ickner. 

By  ROBER  I  v  V.  SEWKLL 


Mr.  Turner,  who  is  just  now  very  much  before  the  public 
on  account  of  the  enormous  colour  scheme  which  he  designed, 
and  has  carried  out  with  great  success,  for  the  buildings  of  the 
Pan-American  Exposition  |  1901),  has  been  a  popular  and  busy 
worker.  He  has  completed,  besides  the  paintings  mentioned  in 
their  places  in  the  course  of  this  writing,  others  that  can  be 
seen  in  the  Bank  of  Commerce,  New  York,  and  the  Hotel 
Raleigh,  Washington. 

Mr.  Turners  work  at  Buffalo,  and  the  popular  enjoyment 
of  the  bright-coloured  exteriors  that  he  arranged  with  great 

261 


M  ISCELLANEOUS  WORK 


charm  and  variety,  though  interesting  as  showing  the  growing 
appreciation  of  the  picturesque,  and  the  warmth  and  gayety  that 
is  dear  to  the  more  light-hearted  Latin  nations,  does  not  mark 
the  beginning  of  a  new  movement,  as  was  the  case  at  the 
Columbian  Exposition,  and  therefore  need  not  be  discussed  in 
detail,  as  this  record  deals  with  matters  of  more  permanent 
value. 

Other  artists  whose  names  are  connected  with  a  few  pieces 
of  mural  painting  are  Thomas  W.  Dewing,  William  B.  Van 
Ingen,  Albert  Herter,  Taber  Sears,  Arthur  R.  YVillet, 
Joseph  R.  DeCamp  and  Robert  V.  V.  Sewell.  Illustrations 
are  given  of  two  panels  from  The  Canterbury  Pilgrimage, 
Mr.  Sewell's  frieze  in  Georgian  Court,  the  residence  of  George 
J.  Gould,  Esquire,  in  Lakewood,  N.  J. 

Since  the  time  when  Mr.  La  Large  signed  the  altar-piece 
in  the  Church  of  the  Ascension,  there  has  not  been  a  single 
religious  picture  placed  in  any  church  which  can  be  deemed  of 
sufficient  merit  to  be  included  in  the  connection.  Many  hopes 
were  raised  a  few  years  since,  during  the  remodelling  of  the  in- 
terior of  St.  Bartholomews,  New  York  City ;  but,  while  noth- 
ing is  left  to  be  desired  in  other  respects,  the  painting  in  the 
chancel  is  exceedingly  disappointing. 

That  the  paintings  in  our  churches  are  nowhere  near  the 
artistic  standard  of  those  in  our  secular  buildings  is  an  un- 
fortunate truth  ;  and  this  gives  an  additional  interest  to  the 
ambitious  plan  upon  which  Mr.  La  Large  is  now  working,  for 
the  Church  of  the  Paulist  Fathers,  in  New  York.  The  illustra- 
tions given  in  Chapter  I.  are  of  the  portions  already  completed. 

The  art  which  has  been  under  consideration  is  so  dependent 
upon  the  good  will  of  the  architects  who  build  the  walls  that  it 

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adorns,  that  it  seems  fitting  to  close  with  an  acknowledgment 
of  the  debt  that  is  owing  to  the  late  H.  H.  Richardson,  and  to 
Messrs.  Leopold  Eidlitz,  George  B.  Post,  McKim,  Mead  & 
White,  Edward  Pearce  Casey,  and  James  Brown  Lord,  who 
have  made  the  opportunities  by  which  American  mural  paint- 
ing has  attained  the  position  that  it  now  occupies. 


The  End. 


264 


